Huntsville’s HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology has been awarded a $15 million grant — with the potential for up to $160 million over 10 years — for its BRIDGES Engine initiative to transform underutilized farmland into a launchpad for biobased manufacturing.
The initiative, which includes farmland in Alabama and Tennessee, was one of 12 chosen to receive funding out of 300 applicants. The grant comes from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines program.
“BRIDGES is exactly the kind of investment that reflects what makes Alabama a national leader in innovation — a skilled workforce, world-class research institutions and a business climate that turns discovery into opportunity,” said Ellen McNair, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. “This project will put rural Alabama communities at the forefront of the bioeconomy, and we’re proud to see our state’s talent and land power the next generation of American manufacturing.”
Here is the description of BRIDGES from Made in Alabama, the Department of Commerce’s website:
“The project will cultivate specially developed perennial grasses — including switchgrass and Miscanthus — that improve soil health while serving as feedstocks for automotive, construction and packaging products. In partnership with Auburn University, the University of Tennessee, Volkswagen Group of America and AGgrow Tech LLC, BRIDGES will build the supply chains needed to turn those crops into market-ready materials, strengthening domestic manufacturing along the way.”
“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,” said Neil Lamb, president of HudsonAlpha.
