HudsonAlpha BRIDGES Engine Awarded $160 M NSF Grant to Transform Rural Economies in Alabama and Tennessee
Driving biobased innovation and rural growth across Alabama and Tennessee
(Huntsville, AL) The HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, alongside the University of Tennessee, Auburn University, AGgrow Tech LLC, and Volkswagen Group of America, has been awarded an initial $15 million, with the potential for up to $160 million in funding over ten years through the U.S. National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines) program. Their initiative, the NSF BRIDGES Engine in Alabama and Tennessee, will turn underutilized farmland in the two states into a launchpad for biobased innovation, creating new jobs, strengthening rural economies, and building sustainable new industries.
Out of a pool of 300 applicants from across the nation, the BRIDGES Engine was one of only 12 teams across 20 states to receive funding, recognizing the team’s vision to use science and technology to fuel rural prosperity.
We are honored that the National Science Foundation has chosen to support the BRIDGES Engine as a model for regional innovation and economic transformation. Together with our partners across Alabama, Tennessee, and beyond, we’re proving that investment in use-inspired science and technology can drive both prosperity and purpose, shaping a stronger, more resilient future for our region and our nation.
The BRIDGES Engine tackles critical challenges facing rural America, especially in the Southeast, where communities need stronger agricultural markets, diversified economies, and access to quality jobs. Through a multi-faceted strategy, BRIDGES will cultivate specially developed perennial grasses, including switchgrass and Miscanthus, that enhance soil health and serve as feedstocks for automotive, construction, and packaging products. The effort will build robust local supply chains while creating new revenue streams for farmers.
“This award shows that NSF recognizes the strength of the plans our team has developed that will drive lasting economic development across rural Alabama and Tennessee,” says Sam Jackson, PhD, BRIDGES CEO. “I am excited to begin the real work with our 85 partners to create new markets for farmers, create new manufacturing jobs, and provide skills training to workers in rural communities across the region.”
HudsonAlpha Faculty Investigators Jeremy Schmutz and Kankshita Swaminathan, PhD, will play a major role in advancing the genetic optimization and sustainable production of the Engine’s key perennial crops, combining genomic innovation with on-the-ground agricultural and manufacturing expertise.
Driving Impact Across the Southeast
The BRIDGES Engine will:
- Expand perennial fiber crop cultivation to 50,000 acres, generating $30 million in farm income each year
- Attract more than $2 billion in private investment to rural communities
- Create over 4,000 manufacturing and supply chain jobs worth $280 million in annual wages
- Engage and train more than 10,000 individuals across agricultural, technical, and manufacturing sectors
BRIDGES is designed to directly benefit rural communities, ensuring farmers, workers, and entrepreneurs are central to the region’s transformation towards a resilient bioeconomy.
Collaboration at Scale
BRIDGES brings together 42 industry collaborators, 18 academic research institutions, 10 commercialization partners, and 15 stakeholder organizations to form an interconnected ecosystem designed to sustain long-term innovation and equitable economic growth.
“This initiative depends on collaboration,” added Jackson. “It’s a bridge between science and industry, education and opportunity, research and real-world impact.”
A National Vision
The NSF Engines program is expanding America’s innovation landscape by building regional hubs that advance key technologies and strengthen U.S. competitiveness.
“These new NSF Engines will be transformational for America’s innovation infrastructure, helping ensure national security and U.S. competitiveness in technologies that have the capacity to shape life for decades to come,” said Erwin Gianchandani, NSF assistant director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP).
“NSF Engines investments in critical technologies and future industries will transform America’s innovation infrastructure for decades to come,” said Brian Stone, performing the duties of the NSF director. “The NSF BRIDGES Engine will support rural communities by building talent, stimulating economic growth, and strengthening markets for farmers across the Southeastern U.S.”
The BRIDGES Engine joins this national network as a model for how biotechnology and agriculture can drive rural economic growth. By leveraging HudsonAlpha’s deep expertise in genomics and its legacy of public–private collaboration, BRIDGES will connect the Southeast to a broader movement of innovation that turns scientific discovery into opportunity, helping build sustainable industries and resilient communities across Alabama and Tennessee.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Sarah Sharman- ssharman@hudsonalpha.org
About NSF Regional Innovation Engines
Launched by NSF TIP, the NSF Engines program is building and scaling regional innovation ecosystems nationwide. Each NSF Engine is powered by a broad coalition of private sector, regional and scientific leaders and organizations to accelerate breakthrough emerging technology R&D that drives growth and ultimately bolsters U.S. economic competitiveness and national security.
About HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
HudsonAlpha is where discovery meets purpose—using the power of DNA to improve lives and strengthen communities. As a nonprofit research institute headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, with a second location in Dothan, HudsonAlpha turns discoveries in genetics into results that matter: faster ways to detect and treat diseases, crops that thrive in changing conditions, and new ideas that fuel biotechnology and education. On our campus, scientists, educators, and more than 45 biotech companies work side by side to move breakthroughs from the lab into everyday life. From advancing medical research to building resilient agricultural systems, HudsonAlpha demonstrates how science can drive innovation, create opportunity, and build a healthier, more sustainable future. To learn more about HudsonAlpha, visit hudsonalpha.org.
