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Ali Abedi, 91���� associate vice president for research and professor of electrical and computer engineering, presented written testimony Feb. 1 to the Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business in support of . The corporation would be governed by a board that would include a representative of the 91���� System. 

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In his testimony, Abedi noted that the space and aerospace economy present opportunities for Maine citizens, companies and communities. 91���� is highly competitive in attracting federal investment, particularly from NASA, to advance space knowledge and discovery, and to grow Maine’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce and aerospace industry.

In the last five years, 91���� research funding included $11.6 million from NASA.

Abedi, who leads 91����’s Wireless Sensing Laboratory (WiSe-Net) and directs the Center for Undergraduate Research, collaborated with the Amateur Satellite Corporation to build and operate MESAT1, Maine’s first small satellite. It will be launched this summer.

“91���� engineering and computing students are at the center of this exciting work, and our

graduates have gone onto NASA and SpaceX, as well as dynamic companies in Maine like those who are also supporting LD 1923 including BluShift Aerospace and VALT Enterprise,” Abedi wrote in his testimony. “Even for those who do not go on to work in this industry, their STEM education and workforce preparation including creative and critical thinking, communication skills, teamwork, leadership, and innovation has been furthered by the hands-on opportunities to work on these real-world projects.

“In part, because of this innovation from our public universities, Maine is uniquely ready to

capitalize on the new space market and significantly change our state’s economic landscape by creating high-paying jobs, keeping our young people in the state, and serving the entire nation and our allies around the world with high-technology aerospace intellectual property, technology export and launch services.”

Contact: Margaret Nagle, nagle@maine.edu