Major $160M NSF farmland bioenergy research project launched
In Tennessee, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is part of a team that has won up to $160 million over the next 10 years from the National Science Foundation for the BRIDGES Engine, a collaborative initiative that will generate millions of dollars in additional annual income for Tennessee farmers and create thousands of jobs across the state. BRIDGES, one of only 12 winning proposals from 300 pre-proposals and more than 70 full proposals, is a winner in NSF’s Regional Innovation Engines competition, established to advance transdisciplinary collaborative research development and spur opportunities in regions that have not benefited significantly from recent technology booms.
BRIDGES is designed to transform underused farmland in rural areas of Tennessee and Alabama into launchpads for biobased innovation by growing specially developed perennial grasses and turning those grasses into high-demand automotive, construction and packaging products. The project is led jointly by the University of Tennessee, the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Auburn University, AGgrow Tech LLC and long-standing UT partner Volkswagen Group of America.
Biobased manufacturing is a long-term research strength at UT, with faculty demonstrating expertise and leadership at every level of the supply chain. BRIDGES leverages the five-year $20 million investment made by UT and Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 2024 to accelerate world-leading circular bioeconomy innovation in Tennessee.
Category: Research
