📍 Touchdown in Fort Collins! This week, The Builder Platform is on the ground in Colorado with the NSF Regional Innovation Engines for a retreat we’ve organized to reset, reconnect, and refocus. Huge thanks to the NSF ASCEND Engine in Colorado and Wyoming for hosting us at Innosphere! For these three days, we’re stepping away from the slides and into real talk—no pitching, no positioning. Just honest conversations about what it actually takes to build, sustain, and scale a place-based innovation engine. We’re here to learn from each other, challenge assumptions, and strengthen the national network that’s powering tech translation, workforce development, and regional growth. Let’s get to work! #NSFEngines #InnovationEcosystem #TheBuilderPlatform #TechTranslation #RegionalInnovation Patricia Grospiron, Emily Knight, Benjamin Downing, Amy Beaird, PhD, Elizabeth Patterson, Ian Johnston, Diana Kamau, Ryan Donahue, Francie Genz, Heath Naquin, Jim Woodell, Arthur Smith, NSF ENGINES: North Dakota Advanced Agriculture Technology Engine, Florida Semiconductor Engine, Upstate NY Energy Storage Engine, NSF Piedmont Triad RegenMed Engine, Current, Future Use of Energy in Louisiana, The Textile Engine: NSF Regional Innovation Engine, NSF Engines: Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine (SWSIE)

🌱 Spotlight on Innovation: Dr. Raoul Farer 🌱 We’re proud to highlight one of our Principal Investigators, Dr. Raoul Farer, whose work is helping shape the future of sustainable textiles. Dr. Farer is leading the project Air-laid Hemp Nonwovens for Industrial Applications, exploring how hemp—an abundant, locally grown natural fiber in North Carolina—can replace synthetics and expand its role in the market. 👉 Why hemp? It’s strong, versatile, and renewable. It offers a natural solution to reduce microplastics. It has the potential to lower manufacturing costs and boost competitiveness in nonwovens. His research goes beyond the lab: For industry: More sustainable, cost-effective nonwoven products. For agriculture: Growth opportunities for hemp farming and related jobs. For consumers: Safer, natural alternatives to synthetic fibers. For policymakers: Alignment with sustainability initiatives and local economic development. Dr. Farer shares, “It’s an honor to be part of The Textile Engine community. I look forward to engaging with everyone and learning more about how we can make meaningful impacts across textiles, nonwovens, and related industries.” We’re excited to see how his work advances innovation, sustainability, and opportunity—locally and beyond. #Sustainability #Innovation #HempTextiles #Nonwovens #TextileIndustry #TheTextileEngine #TheIndustrialCommons #NonWovenInstitute #NCState #WilsonCollegeofTextiles

✨ We just concluded an incredible retreat in Fargo with fellow National Science Foundation (NSF) Regional Engines from across the country — and what a meaningful few days it was! Bringing the other Engines to Fargo gave us the opportunity not only to showcase the innovation happening here, but also to create space for honest conversations, shared learning, and collaboration. Throughout the retreat, we exchanged best practices, crowd-sourced solutions to common challenges, and strengthened relationships with peers who are all working toward the same goal: creating lasting impact through regional innovation ecosystems. One of the most valuable parts of the week was the openness in the room. There’s something powerful about gathering with leaders who understand both the opportunities and complexities of this work and are willing to learn from one another in real time. As we move into Years 3 and beyond of the Regional Engines program, there’s a growing sense of optimism, not only about the future of our individual Engines, but about the strength of this national network we’re building together. We were proud to introduce our guests to some of the incredible partners helping drive innovation here in North Dakota. A special thank-you to Ana María Heilman Morales and the North Dakota State University AgData team and Josh Gelinske and Adam E. at NDeavor for welcoming the group into your facilities and sharing more about the important work you’re doing to engage with and support the local AgTech Engine ecosystem. And finally, thank you to The Builder Platform, Powered by The Engine for thoughtfully planning and facilitating such a collaborative and energizing retreat. We’re leaving inspired, connected, and excited for what’s ahead. ✨ NSF ASCEND Engine in Colorado and Wyoming NSF Energy Storage Engine in Upstate NY The Textile Innovation Engine of North Carolina NSF Regenerative Medicine Engine Florida Semiconductor Engine Future Use of Energy in Louisiana NSF Futures Engine in the Southwest NSF Great Lakes Renew Engine, led by Current

This month, The Builder Platform released the first-ever impact report for the National Science Foundation (NSF) Regional Innovation Engines program. Over the next several weeks, we’ll be highlighting some of the stories behind the data. Today’s focus: a spotlight on several #ToughTech solutions emerging from NSF Engine ecosystems. ▪️ In Upstate New York, battery tech company Ateios Systems developed the fastest-ever solvent-free production process for high-energy battery electrodes, with support from the NSF Energy Storage Engine in Upstate NY. The technology – now being scaled for production worldwide – increases energy density while lowering production costs, producing fully domestic and PFAS-free electrodes for materials that represent 80% of the global lithium-ion battery market. ▪️ In Louisiana, startup BB&M Materials, LLC partnered with the NSF Future Use of Energy in Louisiana Engine and Louisiana Tech University to develop and deploy a new cement alternative for the oil and gas industry that lowers energy consumption while reducing unwanted byproducts. It's currently being piloted in the field. ▪️ In North Dakota, local growers collaborated with the NSF AgTech Engine in North Dakota and technology company Aperture Earth to launch a new moisture mapping tool that uses an AI model to generate daily soil moisture maps, enabling farmers to make precise irrigation decisions without using in-ground sensors. These examples represent just a small fraction of the 100+ technologies that NSF Engines are advancing nationwide, translating breakthrough research into real world impact. Read the full report ➡️ lnkd.in/eH7v6rY7

In partnership with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the Textile Innovation Engine collaborated with textile and apparel educators across the state to develop classroom-ready resources for high school apparel and textile fundamentals courses. The results: ✔️ A new NC Textile Career Map connecting students to career opportunities across the industry with usage over 26,000 job-related clicks. ✔️ 4,807 students engaged during the 2025–2026 school year ✔️ 93 of 100 teachers actively using the curriculum platform The curriculum launched statewide in Fall 2025 and is helping students discover the wide range of careers available in North Carolina's textile industry, from engineering and advanced manufacturing to science, design, and product development. Explore the NC Textile Career Map: lnkd.in/gYJNakjg Anne Wiper The Industrial Commons #TextileInnovation #WorkforceDevelopment #AdvancedManufacturing #STEMEducation #EconomicDevelopment #NorthCarolina #TextileCareers #FutureOfWork

The future of AgTech isn’t just about technology; it’s about people. 🌐 That’s why the ND AgTech Engine facilitated eight Community Workforce Partnership sessions across North Dakota, gathering voices from 44 counties and 228 participants to better understand the opportunities and challenges shaping the next generation of agricultural talent. The result is the Community Workforce Partnerships Report Summary: insights and recommendations on how education, communities, and industry can work together to prepare a workforce ready to lead in ag innovation. This report reflects what our ecosystem is all about: listening first, elevating local voices, and building pathways that connect people to purpose-driven, tech-enabled careers in agriculture. Read the full summary. 🔍 National Science Foundation (NSF) North Dakota State University Grand Farm Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation North Dakota Tribal College System Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce (FMWF Chamber)

The retreat has been one of the most powerful working sessions I have participated in over the last year. Being together with the Builder Platform and our fellow peers, talking through strategy and where we see ourselves in 20 years.. powerful. Hearing about struggles and success and how we got there is very powerful to do that together. I would love to see more of this from the Builder Platform.

The session of working with Foundations was excellent. Having two experts from Foundations share with works and what doesn't was so beneficial. The information about the IRS forms and definitions that Foundation must abide by was insightful. I walked away with a ton of great notes. Thank you!!!

I'm an external evaluator and only recently started interacting with the Builder platform, but the interactions I have had thus far have been helpful. I appreciate the space that BP is building for evaluators to talk with each other each month. I also appreciate having access to the same platform as the engines. There is so much information being shared from NSF to the engines, and then from NSF to the evaluators, sometimes information given to one won't make it to the other, so having access to the same information is really nice.

📍 Touchdown in Fort Collins! This week, The Builder Platform is on the ground in Colorado with the NSF Regional Innovation Engines for a retreat we’ve organized to reset, reconnect, and refocus. Huge thanks to the NSF ASCEND Engine in Colorado and Wyoming for hosting us at Innosphere! For these three days, we’re stepping away from the slides and into real talk—no pitching, no positioning. Just honest conversations about what it actually takes to build, sustain, and scale a place-based innovation engine. We’re here to learn from each other, challenge assumptions, and strengthen the national network that’s powering tech translation, workforce development, and regional growth. Let’s get to work! #NSFEngines #InnovationEcosystem #TheBuilderPlatform #TechTranslation #RegionalInnovation Patricia Grospiron, Emily Knight, Benjamin Downing, Amy Beaird, PhD, Elizabeth Patterson, Ian Johnston, Diana Kamau, Ryan Donahue, Francie Genz, Heath Naquin, Jim Woodell, Arthur Smith, NSF ENGINES: North Dakota Advanced Agriculture Technology Engine, Florida Semiconductor Engine, Upstate NY Energy Storage Engine, NSF Piedmont Triad RegenMed Engine, Current, Future Use of Energy in Louisiana, The Textile Engine: NSF Regional Innovation Engine, NSF Engines: Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine (SWSIE)

🌱 Spotlight on Innovation: Dr. Raoul Farer 🌱 We’re proud to highlight one of our Principal Investigators, Dr. Raoul Farer, whose work is helping shape the future of sustainable textiles. Dr. Farer is leading the project Air-laid Hemp Nonwovens for Industrial Applications, exploring how hemp—an abundant, locally grown natural fiber in North Carolina—can replace synthetics and expand its role in the market. 👉 Why hemp? It’s strong, versatile, and renewable. It offers a natural solution to reduce microplastics. It has the potential to lower manufacturing costs and boost competitiveness in nonwovens. His research goes beyond the lab: For industry: More sustainable, cost-effective nonwoven products. For agriculture: Growth opportunities for hemp farming and related jobs. For consumers: Safer, natural alternatives to synthetic fibers. For policymakers: Alignment with sustainability initiatives and local economic development. Dr. Farer shares, “It’s an honor to be part of The Textile Engine community. I look forward to engaging with everyone and learning more about how we can make meaningful impacts across textiles, nonwovens, and related industries.” We’re excited to see how his work advances innovation, sustainability, and opportunity—locally and beyond. #Sustainability #Innovation #HempTextiles #Nonwovens #TextileIndustry #TheTextileEngine #TheIndustrialCommons #NonWovenInstitute #NCState #WilsonCollegeofTextiles