UMaine lab lays off 9 employees, blames federal funding uncertainty

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 15, 2025

A University of Maine research lab leading efforts in offshore wind and 3D printing has laid off nine employees after the federal government halted millions of dollars in funding. Nine employees of UMaine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center were notified Monday. The layoffs come just one month after the Trump administration directed UMaine to halt activity on $15.8 million in offshore wind research projects, including a floating turbine that researchers have worked on for over a decade and was weeks away from a final launch.