SACO — Maine businesses are keen to grow and invest in their operations, but they need a more predictable environment and more workers to make it happen, according to a report released Tuesday by the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and the Maine Development Foundation.

“Maine Economic Vision 2035” lays out priorities to boost business competitiveness, lower housing costs and increase wages 20% within the next decade.

Four major goals outlined in the report are designed to ensure that both workers and businesses succeed, said Heather Johnson, the report’s author and a former commissioner of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development.

“Strong economies require those things to happen together,” said Johnson, now a consultant.

Based on a survey of more than 200 business and nonprofit leaders across the state, the report also aims to address some of the major constraints facing Maine businesses, including uncertainty about policy changes and government regulation.

“Maine businesses want to be here,” said Johnson, “They can navigate better when they know what to expect.”

The chamber and the foundation, which was established by statute in 1978 to promote long-term economic growth, issued the report to encourage solutions-based debate among the candidates for governor.

Here are the four goals outlined in the report:

1. Boost business competitiveness

Business leaders say Maine must establish a regulatory environment that is predictable, efficient and transparent, enabling meaningful resident input while allowing qualified projects to be permitted within 12 months. The report also says Maine must have a balanced tax approach that supports residents, encourages investment, enables business continuity and avoids the volatility that comes from reactionary shifts.

The report says Maine must take steps to return to the most competitive commercial and industrial electric rates in New England, in part by replacing imported liquid natural gas (LNG) and petroleum with domestic energy resources and growing electricity demand to spread fixed system costs across a larger customer base.

The report also says Maine should not step back from its role as a climate leader — addressing these challenges will support economic growth and make electrification and the transition to clean energy more affordable.

2. Improve household affordability

Maine must reduce zoning and regulatory barriers and incentivize housing development to bring housing costs back to no more than 30% of a typical household income, restoring affordability for renters and homeowners, the report states. Today, 64% of Maine households don’t earn enough annually to pay just 30% of their income for a median priced home of $350,000-$400,000, according to MaineHousing.

To encourage this shift, the report calls for capping additional state revenue sharing to municipalities that are placing barriers to housing development. It also calls for creating a structured system of financial incentives for municipalities that review projects in a timely fashion and a $100 million competitive infrastructure fund for cities and towns that are housing production leaders.

“It’s a carrot-and-stick approach,” said Patrick Woodcock, president and CEO of the state chamber.

The report also sets a goal to reduce Maine’s healthcare spending as a percentage of total personal expenditures to the New England average. Healthcare access, affordability and quality are key elements to household affordability, the report says.

3. Increase private investment in research

Maine must create a more stable and competitive investment environment, increasing the private investment that is tracked through the state’s Dirigo Business Incentives Program by 20% annually, the report says.

Maine must grow the combined public and private investment in research and development to meet the national average; this will require tripling the combined public and private investment from 1.4% of GDP to the national average of 4.1% of GDP.

Maine will increase GDP per worker to the national average, closing the approximately 20% productivity gap, through equipment modernization technological adoption, and process improvements.

4. Grow Maine’s workforce and wages

The report sets a target for 70% of Mainers age 25-64 to have a diploma, training certificate or degree aligned with workforce needs. Currently, 55% of Mainers hold these credentials, up from 40% previously, said Yellow Light Breen, president and CEO of the Maine Development Foundation.

Combined with higher productivity, this would drive wages 20% above 2025 levels and substantially close the gap with the national average, the report says.

The report also says Maine must attract 25,000 new workers to offset projected retirements and make workplaces more welcoming to existing employees, including older workers willing to stay beyond retirement age.

“We don’t have enough people,” Breen said.

Maine also must invest in early education and improve fourth-grade reading and math proficiency by 20 percentage points, pushing the state from lagging to leading the nation, the report says.