If I import a Maven project (Import Project > choose the main pom.xml file > check Import Maven projects automatically > Next ...):
If you use the bundled Maven that comes with Idea 14.1, have a look here: Slow Intellij IDEA deployment . Using an installed Maven seems to be much faster.
Another improvement could be to change the JDK for importer (and probably the VM options for importer) from Use internal JRE to your own JDK: