NSF Regional Innovation Engines Cohort 2

The NSF Biobased Rural Innovation for Domestic Growth and Economic Security (NSF BRIDGES) Engine in Alabama and Tennessee, led by HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, aims to transform rural economies by using locally grown resources in domestic biobased manufacturing. By converting regional crops into products for use in the automotive, construction and packaging industries, the NSF BRIDGES Engine will help create jobs in the U.S. Southeast, strengthen markets for farmers and reduce U.S. reliance on foreign goods. 

Technology focus areas address industry needs in product innovation and industrial efficiency, agricultural production and markets, artificial intelligence, biotechnology and advanced manufacturing.

The NSF Critical Materials Crossroads Engine in the Kansas City Region, led by the University of Missouri-Kansas City, aims to build the regional ecosystem to onshore and sustain critical materials production capacity essential for the transportation, energy, communication and national security sectors. The NSF Critical Materials Crossroads Engine will connect innovation, production and workforce organizations to grow the regional economy, create high-paying jobs, reestablish a resilient supply chain and reinforce U.S. manufacturing strength. 

Technology focus areas address industry needs in advanced manufacturing, advanced materials and AI.

The NSF Critical Mineral Accelerator Engine in Alaska, led by the University of Alaska Fairbanks, aims to unlock Alaska's expansive critical mineral resources by integrating advanced mining technologies, AI-enabled exploration systems and novel biomining approaches. The NSF Critical Mineral Accelerator Engine will connect communities, researchers, and workforce development and industry stakeholders to expand workforce training and career pathways that support high-quality jobs, particularly in remote Alaska communities. By strengthening local workforce capacity and enabling new business and supply chain opportunities, the Critical Mineral Accelerator Engine will contribute to long-term economic growth, regional stability and domestic industrial capacity.

Technology focus areas address industry needs in advanced manufacturing, advanced materials, AI, biotechnology and energy technology.

The NSF FAST Engine in Oregon, led by Oregon State University, aims to use artificial intelligence to accelerate semiconductor chip design, boost manufacturing performance and shorten product development cycles in Oregon's semiconductor innovation corridor. By catalyzing semiconductor innovation and domestic manufacturing through AI-driven advanced process control systems for chip fabrication, with a goal of fully automatic chip design, the NSF FAST Engine will help strengthen U.S. capacity and leadership in semiconductor manufacturing. 

Technology focus areas address industry needs in advanced manufacturing, AI, semiconductors and microelectronics.

The NSF Grid Modernization Engine in the Carolinas, led by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, aims to advance critical grid technologies to strengthen U.S. energy security and meet rapidly increasing energy demand. The NSF Grid Modernization Engine will connect local utility providers, the region's advanced manufacturing base and world-class test beds. Working collaboratively, these partners will help create co-development pathways that decrease time-to-market and accelerate the deployment of critical grid infrastructure. Combined with new training programs and career pathways, the Grid Modernization Engine will help strengthen U.S. energy security, support AI and manufacturing growth, and increase economic stability across the region. 

Technology focus areas address industry needs in advanced manufacturing, AI, disaster risk and resilience, and energy technology.

The NSF IMPACT Engine in Indiana, led by Indiana University, aims to connect Indiana's world-class orthopedic industry, top universities and health data resources to speed life-changing musculoskeletal (MSK) innovations to the market. By connecting engineers, clinicians and industry, the NSF IMPACT Engine will build the world's largest integrated MSK dataset to move new therapies, smarter implants and AI-powered diagnostics more quickly from the lab to patients. In addition, the IMPACT Engine will develop a highly skilled workforce to meet Indiana's rapidly growing demand for qualified talent. This coordinated regional network will support national health, bolster economic strength and advance U.S. leadership in biotechnology. 

Technology focus areas address industry needs in advanced manufacturing, AI and biotechnology.

The NSF NEO-SMART Engine in Northeast Ohio, led by Case Western Reserve University with more than 70 regional partners, aims to strengthen U.S. advanced materials manufacturing through a focus on developing and integrating new materials (feedstock), next-generation reprocessing technology, AI and machine learning for materials design. By driving innovation in AI-enabled manufacturing across polymers, chemicals, coatings and metals, the NSF NEO-SMART Engine will expand domestic manufacturing capacity, grow the region's skilled workforce, create economic opportunity and support a more resilient U.S. industrial base and supply chain. 

Technology focus areas address industry needs in advanced manufacturing, advanced materials and AI.

The NSF Quantum Technologies Engine in Connecticut, led by the University of Connecticut, aims to advance American quantum innovation and secure the domestic quantum supply chain by accelerating the commercialization of quantum technologies for national defense, biotechnology and financial services. Through innovation, applied research leading to new technologies, support for inventors and entrepreneurs and workforce development, the NSF Quantum Technologies Engine will advance quantum sensing, secured communications, computing and materials through a shared test bed, deep-tech incubator and translation pathways.

Technology focus areas address industry needs in advanced materials, AI, cybersecurity, quantum information science, semiconductors and microelectronics.

The NSF RETI Engine in West Virginia and western Pennsylvania, led by West Virginia University in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and the U.S. Research Impact Alliance, aims to build a coalition of Resilient Energy Technology and Infrastructure (RETI) advances hardware, software and AI-enabled technologies to manage efficient storage and reliable distribution of energy across the grid. Serving as a test bed for addressing the nation's rapidly growing energy needs, the NSF RETI Engine will advance digital twins for grid management, grid-scale energy storage, cyber-secure control systems and microgrids, while expanding training programs that prepare workers for these industries. Together, these efforts are poised to strengthen U.S. energy security and support durable industrial growth across the region. 

Technology focus areas address industry needs in advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and energy technology.

The NSF Ascending Rural Communities through Sustainable, Transformative Advanced Manufacturing Innovations and Alliances Engine (NSF RuralSTAMINA) Biomanufacturing Engine in Iowa and Nebraska, led by Iowa State University, aims to leverage existing agriculture expertise, infrastructure and biomass resources to create fuels, medicinal chemicals and industrial materials through innovations in biomanufacturing. By advancing the development and commercialization of biomanufacturing technologies, the NSF RuralSTAMINA Biomanufacturing Engine will help transform agricultural resources into high-value products, creating regional jobs, strengthening domestic manufacturing capacity and building a more resilient U.S. industrial base. 

Technology focus areas address industry needs in advanced manufacturing, AI and biotechnology.

The NSF Seafood Engine in New England, led by the Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems, aims to revitalize a legacy industry through leveraging advanced technologies that reduce the national seafood deficit and strengthen every level of the seafood supply chain — from harvest to consumer delivery. The NSF Seafood Engine in New England will connect the region's blue-tech sector to its seafood industry to modernize operations, improve efficiency and advance technical innovation. Together, these efforts will help improve outcomes for firms up and down the New England coastline, unlock a $20 billion market opportunity in the American seafood industry and provide advanced capabilities across small and large ports in New England. 

Technology focus areas address industry needs in advanced manufacturing, AI, biotechnology, robotics and automation.

The NSF STELLAR Engine in the Rochester/Finger Lakes Region of New York, led by the University of Rochester, aims to advance the Science, Technology and Engineering of Lasers and Laser Applications Research (STELLAR) for manufacturing, defense, communications and healthcare, strengthening U.S. competitiveness in global markets. The NSF STELLAR Engine will bring together the region's more than 150 laser and photonics companies, the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, The Institute of Optics — the nation's original optics educational program — and a robust network of research, commercialization and workforce partners to advance innovations in lasers and expand career pathways and entrepreneurship opportunities. 

Technology focus areas address industry needs in advanced manufacturing, advanced materials, semiconductors and microelectronics.