Climate Innovation Hub at BAT

The Climate Innovation Hub will grow NYC’s climate tech ecosystem, accelerate the commercialization of climate technologies, and build shared prosperity for New Yorkers to advance a Just Transition.

The Climate Innovation Hub (CIH) at the Brooklyn Army Terminal (BAT) will anchor a growing ecosystem along the New York Harbor for new climate technologists, entrepreneurs, and talent working to develop, pilot, and deploy new solutions to combat the effects of climate change.

CIH will be a 112K-SF world-class hub for business development, incubation, and research commercialization, serving 150 startups over 10 years and offering workforce development opportunities for the local community. This new space will enable emerging market innovators, small companies, and growth-stage and commercialization-stage companies to:

1. Build and rapidly prototype products
2. Provide business support using the fit-for-purpose space
3. Carry out product research and development

In his third State of the City, Mayor Eric Adams announced the City’s commitment to invest up to $100 million in CIH.

NYCEDC launched a Request for Proposals to solicit premier, mission-aligned entities to design and operate the Climate Innovation Hub at BAT. The submission period for CIH at BAT RFP closed on September 5, 2024.

The Urgent Need for a Climate Innovation Hub

In February 2024, the Adams administration released the Green Economy Action Plan (GEAP), which outlines the City’s commitments to drive robust and equitable growth in the local green economy. This plan outlines several City-led actions that will complement private sector activity to grow the local climate technology ecosystem including de-risking emerging technologies; attracting and growing leading green economy businesses and private sector investment; building real estate for climate tech companies to grow, prototype, and pilot new technologies; and developing world-class talent for industry.

As a key initiative of the GEAP, NYCEDC is embarking on an ambitious strategy to create a premier Climate Innovation Hub at the Brooklyn Army Terminal as an adaptive reuse project. The sheer density of the City’s built and waterfront environment, demand potential from large offtakers and customers within key climate tech verticals, mature tech innovation ecosystem, and entrepreneurial municipal government are positioning the Hub to support the growth of local climate tech industries and the export of climate solutions it enables for broader impact internationally.

Growing NYC's Climate Innovation Ecosystem with the Harbor Climate Collaborative

The Harbor Climate Collaborative, one of the marquee initiatives outlined in the Green Economy Action Plan, is a joint initiative between three mission-aligned public entities with sites along the New York Harbor—the Trust for Governors Island (TGI), New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC). The Collaborative will be the center of a burgeoning climate innovation ecosystem in New York City.

With over $725 million in public investments for the green economy at NYCEDC’s Sunset Park District, the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and on Governors Island, the partnering institutions will support climate innovators through piloting, tenanting, regulatory coordination, workforce development, knowledge/data sharing, fundraising, and facilitating access to City agencies.

By unlocking six million square feet of space, the Harbor Climate Collaborative will support the creation of 5,000 permanent jobs, educate and train 2,100 students, and generate $55 billion of economic impact. The Collaborative will leverage each of the partner’s expertise in research and climate education, business support for emerging companies and solutions, preparing New Yorkers for well-paying jobs, and to provide a home for new and existing businesses to scale in New York City’s growing the green economy.