UNH Contributes to Two Teams Chosen as Finalists for NSF Innovation Program

Two teams featuring University of New Hampshire participants - one focused on sustainable seafood and another on precision forest management - are among the 15 finalists for the U.S. Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines) program, the National Science Foundation announced this week.

The two New Hampshire projects, selected from a field of nearly 300, aim to revitalize economic growth and job creation in two heritage New England industries - seafood and forestry - with public-private partnerships, advanced technologies and research. The NSF Engines program represents one of the largest public investments in place-based technology development intended to spur economic growth and job creation since the establishment of the American land-grant universities.

NSF will conduct in-depth, in-person interviews with the finalist teams in the coming months and anticipates announcing awardees in early 2026.

"I am thrilled to see two New Hampshire organizations recognized for this transformational opportunity," says New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte. "Our state is a hub for innovation thanks to strong public-private partnerships, and this grant would help ensure we continue to lead the way in advancing critical industries like commercial fishing and forestry."

The New England Seafood Partnership for Innovations, Research and Engagement (NSPIRE), led by the Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, aims to bring disruptive technological innovation to the seafood supply chain in New England to increase the volume, quality, consistency, variety and value of seafood products.

In doing so, the project will bolster the prosperity of coastal communities, enhance regional food security, and reduce the $20 billion national seafood deficit, improving economic competitiveness of the U.S. seafood industry in the global market. NSPIRE includes 54 different organizations across Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island representing the seafood industry, technology companies, government, and academic/research institutions.

"Building NSPIRE into an NSF Engine would enable the vibrant partnerships we have built to expand and mesh into a dynamic ecosystem," says David Fredriksson, director of UNH's Center for Sustainable Seafood Systems. "Our goal is to develop and scale technical innovations across the seafood supply chain to grow the region's seafood economy to ensure fishing and aquaculture industries remain vibrant in a changing environment and to reduce the national seafood trade deficit."

The Northern New England Precision Forest Management and Advanced Forest Bioproducts Engine (NNE-PROMISE), led by the Northern Forest Center, based in Concord, New Hampshire, seeks to establish northern New England as an international leader in the forest products sector, transforming a heritage industry into one that generates economic prosperity for a rural region that the technology boom has left behind. A coalition of nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, industry leaders, and investors, NNE-PROMISE is creating the next generation of forest innovation, revitalizing the region while addressing pressing social and environmental challenges.

"New technologies are revolutionizing sustainable forest management and the forest economy," says Mark Ducey, UNH professor of natural resources and the environment. "NNE-PROMISE will position Northern New England as a globally competitive leader in forest-based innovation while creating opportunities for local communities."