$4 Million for UMaine BioHome3D Commercialization Advanced by Senator Collins in Funding Bill
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she advanced $4,000,000 for the University of Maine’s (UMaine) BioHome3D Congressionally Directed Spending request in the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Energy and Water Development appropriations bill. The bill, which was officially approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee today, now awaits consideration by the full Senate and House.
“Through its production of the world’s first ever 3D-printed house made from recycled forest products, the University of Maine continues to demonstrate its global leadership in innovation and scientific research,” said Senator Collins. “UMaine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center is pioneering a new market opportunity for Maine's forests products industry, which could help alleviate housing shortages in Maine and throughout the country. As the Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to advocate for this funding as the appropriations process moves forward.”
“Since being unveiled last November, the world’s first 3D-printed home made entirely from bio-based materials has withstood the test of a challenging Maine winter and attracted unprecedented state, national and international interest for its exciting potential to solve our affordable housing crisis and revitalize our forest economy,” said University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center Founding Director Habib Dagher. “We are grateful to Senator Collins for her incredible leadership toward securing further federal funding for this innovative research and development effort that would enable us to explore how to dramatically reduce both the cost and time of 3D printing these energy-efficient housing units and ensure the commercial application of this UMaine-made affordable housing technology.”
This funding would accelerate the manufacturing and commercialization of UMaine’s BioHome3D housing construction technology by supporting research and development needed to scale up the wood residual materials used in the printing and manufacturing process.
This funding advanced through the Committee’s markup of the FY24 Energy and Water Development appropriations bill—an important step that now allows the bill to be considered by the full Senate. Committee consideration of legislation is a key part of regular order, which helps our government function efficiently and deliver results for the people of Maine and America.
In 2021, Congress reinstituted Congressionally Directed Spending. Following this decision, Senator Collins has secured more than $500 million for hundreds of Maine projects for FY2022 and FY2023. As the Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins is committed to championing targeted investments that will benefit Maine communities.
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