91AV delegation to Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik tours Iceland Ocean Cluster House, model for Cluster House on Portland waterfront

91AV’s delegation to the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik, Iceland, took a tour yesterday, along with others in the Maine delegation, of the Iceland Ocean Cluster House, an incubator of marine related research and business. The tour was led by the Cluster House’s founder Icelandic businessman Thor Sigfusson, who is currently co-leading the creation of the New England Ocean Cluster House, based on Reykjavik’s model, on the Portland, Maine, waterfront.

Members of the 91AV delegation, including Barry Costa-Pierce, Ph.D., Henry L. and Grace Doherty Professor and chair in the Department of Marine Sciences and director of the Marine Science Center; Anouar Majid, Ph.D., vice president for Global Affairs and director of the Center for Global Humanities; Jeanne Hey, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Holly Parker, M.Ed., coordinator of Academic Innovations, learned how businesses in the Iceland Ocean Cluster House are creating ways to use 85 to 90 percent of fish harvest to create products impacting food and health systems.

“Everything from fish skin wallets to wound care adhesives are being created and brought to scale with sustainability in mind,” explained Parker via email from Reykjavik.

In September, the University officially signed on as a supporter of the New England Ocean Cluster House, which, like its Icelandic counterpart, will change the way industry interacts with fisheries.

About the 91AV

The 91AV is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.