Clean-Tech Pilot Accelerators

Clean-tech pilot accelerators are helping emerging technologies move toward commercial deployment as RTI International expands its Pilot Xcelerator in North Carolina. The $14 million expansion adds a 25,000-square-foot facility and doubles RTI’s commercialization infrastructure, providing companies with pilot-scale equipment, engineering expertise, independent validation, and deployment support. The platform serves technologies spanning carbon capture, sustainable aviation fuel, critical minerals, advanced recycling, and industrial biotechnology.

Access to shared pilot infrastructure can reduce the cost and risk of proving technologies at larger scales before companies invest in their own facilities. Startups can generate performance data and operational experience needed to attract partners, customers, and capital, while established companies and government organizations can evaluate emerging processes. By expanding its testing capacity, RTI can support more commercialization projects while positioning the Pilot Xcelerator as a bridge between laboratory research and industrial-scale deployment.