David Harry, The Forecaster -- The lingering question was simple for Icelandic businesswoman Erla Petursdottir.
"What do we do with fish guts?" she said Thursday Oct. 16.
In Maine, the same question is asked about lobster shells. The answer may be found in the New England Ocean Cluster, an approach modeled on the Iceland Ocean Cluster that Petursdottir, the managing director of Codland, has belonged to for more than two years.
As announced Oct. 16 by Gov. Paul LePage, Mayor Michael Brennan, Iceland Ocean Cluster leader Thor Sigfusson, and Patrick Arnold of Soli DG, the New England Ocean Cluster in Portland is expected to be home to at least 20 entrepreneurial ventures looking to boost the regional maritime economy. The search is now on for 30,000 square feet of waterfront space to house the cluster, which Soli said has already attracted interest from eight local, but unidentified, businesses. Sigfusson is a partner in the venture.