The University of Maine’s Foster Center for Innovation has selected four faculty-led teams to participate in an accelerator program designed to help them turn their research lab-based innovations into marketable new products and services.

The selected teams are working on innovations in the fields of accessibility education, aquaculture, computer-aided breast cancer detection and marine sciences, according to a news release from the university.

The Maine Innovation Research and Technology Accelerator (MIRTA) program applies the accelerator model used in the startup world for technology transfer projects in the university ecosystem. During the intensive 16-week program, the four teams will be guided through market analysis, intellectual property analysis, and business model development. Additionally, each team has an advisory committee of industry and technology experts who provide feedback and advice. The teams are eligible for up to $25,000 each to help develop commercialization implementation plans.

This is the fifth cohort to go through the MIRTA program. The first four cohorts consisted of 17 teams and have led to the creation of seven new startups, seven filed or issued patents, and more than $2.3 million raised in external funding and prototype sales to support ongoing commercialization. A few of the companies formed after participation in MIRTA include Neuright, winner of the $25,000 David Shaw prize in the Maine Center for Entrepreneur’s 2019 Top Gun program and UNAR Labs, which was selected to join the first cohort of The Roux Institute’s Startup Residency Program in 2021.

Here are the four teams selected for the 2022 MIRTA cohort (for more about the teams, visit the MIRTA website):

  • Future Fish Tags is pursuing commercialization of biocompatible implants made from printed titanium foam metals in order to improve tissue integration and animal welfare, and maximize the retention of conventional and electronic tags used on aquatic animals.
  • Oyster Pod is pursuing commercialization of a 3D-printed aquaculture tank insert made from forest product feedstocks and bioplastic and designed to capitalize on the space-saving and energy-reducing principles of vertical aquaculture to maximize the growth of Eastern Oysters and improve efficiencies for Maine’s small shellfish farmers.
  • WAVED (Wavelet-based Assessment and Visualization for Early Detection) is pursuing commercialization of patented computer-aided detection technology that uses a patient’s mammographic history and clinical data to identify the physical markers believed to be linked to malignant tumor onset and growth, leading to early detection of breast cancer.
  • Wheelchair Odyssey is pursuing development and commercialization of immersive software to simulate wheelchair navigation in inaccessible, real-world settings. The software will be designed for students in higher education so that they can experience the everyday obstacles that wheelchair users face, learn about related Americans with Disabilities Act access requirements, and hear first-person stories from people with disabilities.

The MIRTA program is supported by the University of Maine System Research Reinvestment Fund (RRF) and the Maine Technology Institute.