Seed to City Initiative Receives $1M Capital Investment
December 3rd, 2025
RPI and CASE’s multi-institutional Seed to City Initiative received a $1 Million capital investment to set up a Seed to City Manufacturing Lab. Led by CASE Director, Dr. Alexandros Tsamis, and Dr. Daniel Walczyk, Co-Director of the RPI New York Fashion Innovation Center and principal investigator in this fund. The Seed to City (S2C) is a collaboration between RPI, NYS Institutions*, and industry partners to position New York State as a leader in regional biomanufacturing by advancing cutting-edge technology, commercializing R&D, and building a skilled workforce.
The Seed to City (S2C) has undertaken the design, development, and demonstration of advanced, clean manufacturing processes and high-performance innovative products that transform fast-growing, carbon-negative crops into low-risk, high-value, non-food goods, creating new market opportunities and elevating demand. With a mission to help establish a resilient supply chain for renewable materials, support the production of low-carbon products, and foster a sustainable economy, S2C addresses the urgent need for decarbonization in both manufacturing and construction.
This grant is part of a larger $5 Million investment from The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets through Cornell University, which is distributed to multiple partners to support R&D work on industrial hemp. The $1M allocated to S2C will go directly to the development of a new Seed to City Manufacturing Lab whose facilities will transform industrial fiber and hurd feedstocks into high performance construction materials, technical textiles, advanced bio-composites, and biodegradable packaging. The S2C team will also collaborate with emerging hemp companies in New York and with community groups to identify and fill the gaps stalling the development of markets for hemp-based products.
While Cornell focuses on the upstream, RPI will focus on the downstream supply chain, that is, conversion of hemp long and short fiber feedstock into refined materials and manufacturing technologies, as well as design and implementation of products for NY State. To enable R&D backing the initiative, funding from this grant will equip the manufacturing lab with custom processing and manufacturing equipment such as a Thermoplastic/thermoset pultrusion machine, an RF Dielectric Preheater, a composite pre-impregnating (prepregger) machine and a large-area thermal press used at various manufacturing steps.
Receipt of this new line of funding marks a major milestone for Seed to City researchers and industry partners devoted to the advancement of industrial hemp in the built environment. CASE and RPI are energized to begin the development of the new cutting-edge laboratory which will aid in the vision of S2C to address scientific, technological, social, economic, and regulatory challenges associated with renewable materials, and generate knowledge to establish a plant-based circular economy in New York State. By innovating throughout the supply chain, S2C is revolutionizing the building and construction industries. Stimulation of both supply and demand for carbon-negative materials and manufacturing processes will advance the State and the U.S. toward a circular bioeconomy for construction.
*Academic partners for the Seed to City Initiative include: Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, SUNY Morrisville School of Agriculture, Business and Technology, SUNY ESF College of Environmental Science and Forestry and the Pratt Institute.
Media Contact:
Kathie Brill, Program Manager
Brillk@rpi.edu