New York City is gearing up for a greener future with the unveiling of BATWorks, a climate innovation hub set to take root at the Brooklyn Army Terminal (BAT) in Sunset Park. Announced by Mayor Eric Adams and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), this hub will be supported by a consortium led by the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) and the Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC), aimed to foster an ecosystem where startups can thrive, find resources for product development, and engage in workforce training—solidifying the city’s commitment to climate innovation and economic growth.
The ambitious initiative, first mentioned in Mayor Adams' 2023 State of the City address, will amalgamate workspace design, product R&D, and job placement programs, and the NYCEDC is strategically investing $100 million to this cause, expecting to generate over 600 jobs and host roughly 150 startups across a decade, while potentially enhancing the city's economy by $2.6 billion—a clear nod to the weight of climate tech's future. As detailed by the Mayor's office, LACI will guide climate initiatives at the hub through its "Pilots at BAT" program where, starting January 2026, it will assist in piloting emerging technologies in a live, urban setting, while CIC's role will encapsulate the creation of work and laboratory spaces that fuse form with function to nurture innovation.
Bringing together educational powerhouses like The City University of New York (CUNY) and New York University (NYU), as well as design expertise from Perkins and Will, BATWorks seeks to bridge the gap between academic research and practical industry applications—creating a multifaceted platform for advancing the green economy, according to the announcement by the NYC Mayor's Office. In tandem with this initiative, the NYCEDC has earmarked $1.4 million for the South Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation's "Economic Mobility Network," aiming to link Sunset Park locals to prime opportunities in growing sectors such as life sciences and the ever-growing green economy.
The hub will command approximately 200,000 square feet of space, tailored to a wide array of startups and entrepreneurs that range from emerging market innovators to more established commercialization-stage companies. LACI, originally an economic development initiative by the City of Los Angeles, brings to the table its experience in empowering over 500 portfolio companies, helping them to raise more than $1 billion in funding, which has led to an economic impact exceeding $733 million; these figures reflect the organization's pivotal role in fostering a climate of cleantech innovation according to the joint effort set forth by NYC and LA, LACI's advisory role seeks to put an equitable lens on workforce development, paving the way for inclusive 'green-collar' job access for New Yorkers.
As for CIC, their track record of nurturing vibrant innovation communities over 1.5 million square feet of global real estate underlines their expertise in curating environments conducive to ideation and growth, establishing BATWorks as a breeding ground for scalable solutions to environmental challenges. Moreover, the collaboration with educational institutions such as CUNY and NYU, along with Perkins and Will's design contributions, underscores a seamless integration of knowledge platforms with commercial industries, aimed to spark revolutionary climate solutions.
BATWorks is more than just an innovation hub; it represents a cornerstone in the Harbor Climate Collaborative, which signals a focused effort to unite tech piloting with diverse programming across multiple organizations to promote climate innovation. This strategy dovetails with ongoing projects like the Harbor of the Future and the transformation of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, setting up New York City as a bastion for climate-conscious urban development—a vision that local officials and stakeholders have lauded as a turning point in bolstering economic opportunity and sustainable growth in Brooklyn and beyond, as stated in the city's press release.
