Launching TEAM TN: Technology-Enhanced Advanced Mobility

I might be a new Tennessean, but since moving to the Volunteer State a year ago, I have experienced so much of the state's kindness, welcoming, and potential.

Now, I'm ready to welcome the next stage of my Tennessee journey as the Interim Chief Executive Officer of TEAM TN, a partnership with the National Science Foundation and an alliance of academics, industry, and technical societies, led by The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

We recently kicked off TEAM TN at the Tennessee Mobility Showcase – a great event that welcomed NSF's Sethuraman Panchanathan, Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, Representative Tim Burchett, President Randy Boyd, Chancellor Donde Plowman, and so many valuable partners.

We heard from several TEAM TN Leadership Team members on a panel co-chaired by UTK's Marc Gibson and Piper Communications' Cortney Piper. Thank you to Launch Tennessee's Lindsey Cox, Vanderbilt University's Abhishek Dubey, Tennessee Board of Regent's Tachaka Hollins, Volkswagen Group of America's Hendrik Mainka, the University of Tennessee's Sabya Mishra, UT Chattanooga's Mina Sartipi, and Tennessee State University's Robert Turner for a lively discussion.

TEAM – or Technology Enabled Advanced Mobility – TN is made up of over 100 organizations working together to build a thriving advanced mobility ecosystem that strengthens Tennessee's leadership in the innovation economy, safeguards the health of our planet, and enhances the overall quality of life. After all, Tennessee's history tells us that we can do big things. From the Tennessee Valley Authority to the Manhattan Project, Tennesseans have dreamed big and laid the groundwork for the next round of innovation.

TEAM TN seeks to leverage our state's investment in the automotive industry and the research abilities of our universities and national lab. We will expand our R&D capabilities in transportation decarbonization and automation technologies, facilitating a transportation system that offers more options for moving people and goods, clear pathways for commercialization, and a resilient workforce. Please get in touch with me or visit our website to learn more about our strategic plan and vision: https://teamtn.org/.

Most importantly, we can only achieve this work with the support of our core partners.

These core partners include all three of Tennessee's R1 universities, Tennessee's statewide network of 37 community and technical colleges, a top-10 research-intensive Historically Black University, UTC, and TTU. Others include ORNL, TVA, Launch Tennessee, Smart Factory Institute, the Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development, Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation, TDOT, the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council, the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network, and Three Roots Capital. I am thankful for their collective support and strategic vision of creating more access to our growing innovation economy.

Together, we hope to unite higher education, industry, and government in ways that have yet to be realized. Building a thriving innovation ecosystem will mean examining our preconceived notions, overcoming barriers to collaboration, and gathering resources to expand on our individual strengths. Our goal is to make our state an epicenter for attracting talent, capital, and innovation – which takes time, resources, and dedication to see it through.

In building TEAM TN, we have begun to foster some of this shared trust and lay the foundation for what will unfold over the next few months and years.

People often ask me how they fit within our effort. To this, I ask our university and government leadership to serve as the governance board for this initiative to provide direction and oversight of our activities and to advocate for the effort of those in your network. For industry partners, please serve on our advisory boards, providing the "use" in our use-inspired research.

To make our vision a reality, we need your support. Our partnerships have provided the foundation for this ecosystem – now we need you to engage your networks and inspire your colleagues to continue the good work we have started.

To contribute or learn more, message me or visit our website at: www.teamtn.org/get-involved.