Guiding Innovation in North Carolina

RTI's Pilot Xcelerator (RPX) is our pilot-scale research and development facility that helps partners prove technologies at scale—generating the real-world performance data that investors, regulators, and customers need to move forward.

By providing this pilot-scale infrastructure and engineering expertise in-state, RPX keeps critical development work in North Carolina—attracting companies, strengthening advanced manufacturing and clean energy sectors, and supporting job creation and long-term economic growth.

RTI's research after Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina found that even trusted flood warnings did not consistently prompt people to act. Residents' decisions were shaped by personal experience, alert fatigue, and a lack of localized context, revealing opportunities to improve how risk is communicated to communities.

The study recommends delivering more geographically specific warnings and strengthening community communication networks. These insights can help North Carolina communities respond earlier, reduce harm during future storms, and build greater resilience to increasingly frequent and severe flooding.

About 2.4 million North Carolinians rely on private wells for water. As per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS—or “forever chemicals”) have turned up in water sources throughout the state, we are investigating their prevalence as well as evaluating the risks.

We recently included some of these North Carolina well users, along with others from three more states, in a study of PFAS in private well water. Our study found PFAS across all sampled areas, showing hidden drinking-water risks even outside known contamination zones. The evidence from this study helps North Carolina's homeowners protect their drinking water, make informed choices, and reduce long-term exposure to harmful chemicals.

Health care-associated infections are a significant hazard of our interconnected health care system. These infections, many of which are resistant to conventional antibiotics, come with significant financial and human costs. Fortunately, they are often preventable.

Alongside our partners, UNC Health Care and the North Carolina Department of Public Health, RTI is helping North Carolina health care facilities prevent, monitor, and target health care-associated infections and antibiotic-resistant germs. We are using our expertise in modeling and data science to pinpoint risks before they get out of control. This work makes hospitals and other care settings safer for patients and families.

For patients, rare genetic diseases can be difficult to live with; for doctors, they can be perplexing to diagnose. For researchers, the low number of patients means it is challenging to conduct studies that would lead to treatments and cures.

RUDI is a born-in-North Carolina tool for pharma and biotech teams developing therapies for rare genetic diseases. RTI built RUDI to help teams identify patients more accurately and cost effectively. Using predictive modeling, RUDI shortens the amount of time needed before therapies can progress to trials — ultimately leading to faster outcomes for patients.

The major U.S. military installations in North Carolina share a need for science-based solutions in health and safety. In 2021, RTI launched the North Carolina Center for Optimizing Military Performance (NC-COMP), a network of government, academic, and industry partners whose combined expertise supports operational advantage.

This network has produced innovative work that protects warfighters' brain health, leverages wearable technologies to improve fitness, and accelerates the application of technology in the field.

The technology and military defense sectors are major drivers of North Carolina's economy, contributing approximately $165 billion annually to the state's GDP. Through the NC Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program, we partner with NC State University and other organizations to strengthen the defense manufacturing ecosystem through smart textile innovation and commercialization.

These efforts enhance U.S. military readiness while driving economic opportunity in North Carolina's research, manufacturing, and defense sectors.

RTI evaluated innovative alternatives to traditional police response in North Carolina, focusing on Durham's HEART program and Greensboro's BHRT initiative. Using a robust quasi-experimental design, RTI generated new evidence on how these programs handle mental health and quality-of-life 911 calls.

The findings demonstrated that specialized response teams can reduce arrests, citations, and offense reports while maintaining similar response times and providing more on-scene care. By advancing evidence on community-based crisis response and supporting local governments, RTI is helping North Carolina communities implement more effective, service-oriented public safety strategies that prioritize de-escalation and connection to care.

In North Carolina, Medicaid covers roughly half of all mothers who give birth. RTI research helps ensure that maternity care under Medicaid provides women and their babies with a healthy start.

Drawing on broad expertise in the study of health care finance and quality, we evaluated maternity payment models, including North Carolina's Pregnancy Medical Home. Our findings have implications for policymakers and health care leaders throughout the state. For families facing social and economic barriers to good health, every enhancement to prenatal, delivery, and postpartum care can make a positive difference.

The first hours of life are a vital time for diagnosing and treating certain rare genetic conditions. While the U.S. already offers screenings for many of these conditions to most of the nation's newborn babies, research continues to advance. This means that new tests and treatments are surfacing that can radically improve outcomes.

RTI scientists have led the expansion of newborn screening in North Carolina through Early Check, a program that allows parents to opt in to screenings that go beyond the standard panel. Early Check gives families and providers vital support while helping advance the medical community's understanding of these conditions. Based on decades of research in newborn screening, our experts have also called for modernization of the system nationwide.

Technological innovation in North Carolina often seems to be concentrated in urban areas, but all areas and economic sectors can benefit. Working with colleagues from six North Carolina universities, RTI experts proposed creating an AgTech corridor to connect farmers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and extension partners across 42 counties.

The corridor has the potential to help smaller and under-resourced farms adopt new tools that may otherwise have been out of reach. When farms of all sizes can improve productivity, our rural communities prosper, unlocking opportunities throughout North Carolina.

Targeted investments in agricultural manufacturing and processing could strengthen North Carolina's farm economy by helping farmers access higher-value markets and improving local supply chains.

Our study identified multiple near- and emerging opportunities across key commodities—such as apples, sweet potatoes, and red meat—that can expand value-added production and support rural communities. The findings emphasize that success depends on a farmer-centric approach, with local sourcing and strong partnerships to ensure farmers capture lasting economic benefits.

North Carolina's 320 miles of coastline represent an extraordinary natural and economic asset. Working with NC EcoTech, a coalition based at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, we developed a science-based plan for the area's “blue economy” — a wide range of economic activities connected to oceans, coasts, and marine ecosystems. Integrating the latest technology into sectors such as aquaculture and coastal resilience is essential for protecting the coastline, creating jobs, and protecting natural resources.

Based on RTI's 2025 work, NC EcoTech and other partners have put several of the ideas into action, including exploring aquaculture's intersection with national security, protecting seafood resources from illegal fishing and environmental contamination.

RTI helped quantify how clean energy investments drive economic growth across North Carolina by partnering with the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association to deliver a comprehensive, data-driven analysis. The study found that, between 2007 and 2024, clean energy development generated $57.8 billion in total economic impact, supported more than 256,000 job years (years of employment), and produced $1.3 billion in state and local tax revenue.

Though this rigorous economic modeling, we provided decision-makers with credible evidence to guide policy and investment choices. This work strengthens North Carolina's ability to attract investment, support jobs, and expand economic opportunity—particularly in rural communities—while advancing a more resilient energy economy.

For the 20,000 residents in Greene County, NC's farming community, the school system is key source of connection and support.

RTI's team of education experts worked with Greene County Schools to involve families, educators, businesses, and community leaders to customize the school system's plan for student success. With community support, students are more likely to stay engaged and have better long-term opportunities.

For several years, the RTI-led Clean Classrooms program has used a “citizen scientist” model to help keep lead and other harmful chemicals out of the drinking water in North Carolina schools and child-care centers. When many of these facilities had to close after Hurricane Helene, communities throughout Western North Carolina felt the loss of an essential source of support.

We used our data to identify schools and child-care facilities that are most at risk of flooding and associated water contamination. This analysis helped communities prioritize repairs and recovery, ensuring that children could return to safer learning environments, even in the aftermath of major disasters.