[WATCH] Inside Brooklyn Navy Yard, the City's Most Surprising Tech Hub

This episode of NYC Innovates dives into the Brooklyn Navy Yard, a 300-acre campus transformed from a historic military shipbuilding facility into a vibrant hub of innovation. Once a powerhouse during World War II, employing over 70,000 people and building ships like the USS Arizona and USS Missouri, the yard sat dormant after 1966. Revived in 1981, it now hosts more than 550 businesses generating $2.5 billion in annual economic impact. The video showcases groundbreaking companies such as Pliant Energy Systems, a marine robotics firm funded by the US Navy developing amphibious vehicles for mine detection; 10XBeta, a health tech venture studio that rapidly produced emergency ventilators for New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic and is now creating mobile healthcare platforms; Next Step Laboratories, which innovates material science for skincare and cosmetics; and Kingdom, a biotech company growing microbial cultures to revolutionize pet health. Beyond technological advancements, the Navy Yard also fosters workforce development, education, and community access, exemplified by the Brooklyn STEAM Center which trains high school students for future tech and trade careers. This blend of historical significance, entrepreneurial spirit, and community focus makes the Brooklyn Navy Yard a unique blueprint for urban innovation.