New Pilot Program Builds on Adams Administration’s Goal of Establishing New York City as a Global Hub for Urban Innovation

Applications For December 2023 Cohort Are Now Live 

New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) today announced the activation of one of its flagship assets, the Brooklyn Army Terminal (BAT), in Sunset Park, for climate innovation pilot projects allowing companies to test and scale their technologies in live environments. The program will allow companies to pioneer groundbreaking technology and solve for city challenges around energy, transportation, and building decarbonization. NYCEDC’s Sunset Park Portfolio features over 200 acres of waterfront space and assets that provide unique opportunities for industries of the future.

Recognizing the global threat of climate change and the need to accelerate a just transition to a green economy, this new piloting program highlights the potential and value of public-private partnerships to grow emerging technologies and companies. Pilots will have access to parking spaces and electrical, roadways, waterfront access, plumbing and water systems, building façade and windows, roof areas, and heating and boiler systems. These spaces and infrastructure will offer a live environment for companies to test their technologies, develop their products, show viability for customers and investors, and tap into New York City’s economy, the 9th largest in the world.

NYCEDC selected three companies to participate in the inaugural cohort who will start their piloting program in September 2023. NYCEDC will issue a quarterly call for companies that are strategically aligned with NYCEDC’s industry development and real estate portfolio management objectives. Pilots will be selected based on a number of criteria including industry need, impact, and feasibility. The inaugural cohort includes: 

  • Conservation Labs is a startup that will pilot its H2know product, an affordable smart water monitor that uses AI to manage water consumption and detect leaks.
  • Enertiv, a startup based in NYC, will digitize select meters and submeters to produce granular insights into electricity consumption and demonstrate its potential for monthly utility cost recovery.
  • Trakref, acquired by the facilities management software company, Fexa in April, will pilot refrigerant management software that helps to reduce carbon emissions by surfacing HVAC inefficiencies and refrigerant leaks. 

NYCEDC evaluated these companies in conjunction with JLL Technologies (JLLT) as part of the interagency Property Technology (Proptech) Piloting Program that surfaces innovative startups that are interested in working with NYCEDC, the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) to improve quality of life for tenants and address real estate sustainability. The Proptech Piloting Program, like many of the innovation programs around New York City, requires live demonstration sites, a need that BAT will fill for this program and others as it emerges as a campus.

Sunset Park in South Brooklyn is poised to be an emerging hub for climate innovation. The waterfront district has extensive industrial infrastructure, a diverse array of tenants and uses, and connection to major transportation networks. NYCEDC’s primary assets in Sunset Park include the Brooklyn Army Terminal, the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, and the Made in New York Campus (MiNY). Each of these assets provides unique opportunities for innovation, business development and support a just transition to decarbonize New York City’s economy. 

BAT is a modern industrial campus powered by the rich legacy of the South Brooklyn waterfront. NYCEDC has worked to transform BAT into a modern manufacturing hub. The four million square foot campus is home to over 100 businesses and over 4,000 jobs. BAT is the premier affordable hub for modern industrial businesses, entrepreneurs, and working families in New York City.

The pilot program at BAT builds on NYCEDC’s and New York City’s efforts to support innovation, entrepreneurship and a just transition to a green economy.

  • In April 2023, itselectric, a Brooklyn-based electric vehicle curbside charging company, announced a strategic partnership with NYCEDC and Hyundai CRADLE to demonstrate curbside EV chargers specifically built for cities. Six chargers were deployed at BAT and the Brooklyn Navy Yard in Spring 2023, informing development of BAT’s activation to enable product development opportunities for growing tech companies.
  • In March 2022, Mayor Eric Adams announced an agreement to transform the city-owned South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT)into one of the largest offshore wind port facilities in the nation. The premier port will be located in Sunset Park and is poised to play a pivotal role as a marshaling port, operations and maintenance base, and electricity interconnection point that will be a forerunner serving US wind farms.
  • In June 2022, the Offshore Wind Innovation Hub opened in Industry City. The Brooklyn-based hub is designed to spark innovation by facilitating testing opportunities, fast-track commercialization, and developing strategic partnerships. NYCEDC, along with Equinor, the Urban Future Lab (UFL) at the NY Tandon School of Engineering, and the National Offshore Wind R&D Consortium (NOWRDC), found and created the Offshore Wind Innovation Hub.
  • And in 2021, NYCEDC and Newlab, in collaboration with Con Edison announced the five startups participating in the Resilient Energy Studio, a program designed to cultivate local energy storage capacity across New York City through entrepreneur-led pilot projects and collaboration with community organizations, energy experts, and leading industry stakeholders. 

This program also represents an example of expanding opportunities to test new technologies and approaches as outlined in the “New” New York Action Plan with the goal of making New York the hub of urban innovation that will bring vibrancy to New York City. Additionally, this program will sit alongside a consortium of pilot sites across City owned assets including Brooklyn Navy Yard and Governors Island.

NYCEDC is now accepting applications for the December 2023 cohort, click here for more information on how to apply.

About NYCEDC  
New York City Economic Development Corporation is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization that works for a vibrant, inclusive, and globally competitive economy for all New Yorkers. We take a comprehensive approach, through four main strategies: strengthen confidence in NYC as a great place to do business; grow innovative sectors with a focus on equity; build neighborhoods as places to live, learn, work, and play; and deliver sustainable infrastructure for communities and the city’s future economy. To learn more about what we do, visit us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.