Innovation Hub for Food and Materials
The Tufts University Innovation Hub for Food and Materials is a brand-new shared-access research and development center designed to accelerate innovation in food systems and materials. Located in Medford, Mass., the facility provides industry and academic collaborators with access to infrastructure and expertise needed to prototype, test, and scale new products—from early concept through consumer-ready applications.
The hub leverages Tufts’ interdisciplinary strengths across biomaterials science, food and nutrition, and emerging food technologies, supporting work in areas such as novel ingredients, sustainable food production, materials processing to enhance texture and functionality, and pilot-scale manufacturing. A fully equipped test kitchen enables translation from laboratory discovery to real-world product development.
Interim space is available immediately; the 17,000 sq. ft. facility, fully outfitted for operations, will open in Fall 2026. For more information, please contact OVPR@tufts.edu. The Innovation Hub for Food and Materials is open to qualified commercial, academic, and nonprofit partners.
The Hub By the Numbers
46
Laboratory Benches
$ 5 M
Tufts’ investment in shared-access research infrastructure and translational capabilities
17000
sq. ft., fully outfitted for operations
25 +
Core facilities available nearby when you join the Tufts community
The Innovation Hub for Food and Materials is designed to meet the needs of academics looking to commercialize a new innovation, small companies that may not have the resources to test manufacturing capabilities, larger companies focused on production that would like to explore new products or technologies, or anyone that might be missing even a small part of the process to bring a product from idea to market.
Key Features
- An incubator space with 46 laboratory benches, shared amenities, and co-working areas at 200 Boston Avenue in Medford
- The Open Access Cell Bank—a field-building bioasset for tool development and distribution
- Lower barriers to entry to allow new players to enter the field faster
- Distribute shared tools to improve reproducibility and data sharing
- 100+ vials from in-house cell lines already distributed!
- The Integrated Bioprocessing & FoodTech core facility for shared-access prototyping and scale-up services
- All the advanced capabilities needed for cell culture and fermentation, materials processing, and food formulation
- Also featured: a test kitchen to ensure the technology is connected all the way to the consumer
- Integration with the Tufts Food and Nutrition Innovation Institute, led by the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, which convenes and drives thought leadership on bioactive compounds, sustainable food systems, and novel ingredients
- The institute features the premier food system innovation consortium, entrepreneurship programs and convenings, as well as insight reports and market landscaping
