Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

Near the end of a webinar on Thursday afternoon that provided an update on the TEAM TN initiative, the organization announced its inaugural board of directors.

Officially known as the Technology-Enhanced Advanced Mobility in Tennessee effort, the initiative is designed to position the Volunteer State as a global leader in mobility innovation and technology. It is:

1. Led by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK);
2. Builds on the state’s historic strengths in transportation, advanced manufacturing, and logistics; and
3. Involves more than 200 public and private stakeholders, including universities, national laboratories, start-ups, economic and community development agencies, and employers.

The ever-growing group has been working for nearly three years on the effort that could bring as much as $160 million over 10 years to the state, building on an initial award of $1 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF). That funding, announced almost two years ago in mid-May 2023 (see teknovation.biz article here), was one of 44 organizations that received commitments under the “NSF Regional Innovation Engines Development Awards” program.

As Deb Crawford, UTK’s Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation, and Economic Development, said in her comments at the start of the webinar, the NSF invited TEAM TN last August to submit a full proposal, one of 17 organizations to do so. That was before the election and for a time, NSF delayed submissions. They were again encouraged, and TEAM TN submitted its proposal on April 15.

Now, the waiting begins as so much of what is going to be federally funded going forward is in limbo. Under the ideal situation, Marc Gibson, Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TEAM TN, said the NSF could make a series of visits in late summer and make an announcement about awards in Q1 or Q2 of 2026.

The coalition’s 10-year vision is centered on electrification and automation in mobility, with an emphasis on developing 10 artificial intelligence (AI)-inspired information and communication technologies (ICT). Advances in ICT, and especially AI, are driving disruptive innovation in the mobility market. This means leveraging digital innovation to enhance the performance, safety, and efficiency of modern transportation systems. TEAM TN’s broader impacts include the sustained diversification and growth of Tennessee’s innovation economy and the creation of mutual and reciprocal benefits for businesses, communities, and residents of the state.

The proposal that was submitted for the full funding included four key areas:

1. Workforce development;
2. Strategic capital investment;
3. Translation to practice, and
4. Use-inspired R&D.

What happens if the NSF funding fails to materialize? Crawford answered that other funding avenues would be pursued. “We will continue to build on the work that this organization has done over three years,” she explained.

The inaugural board includes:

1. Brandon Bruce, General Partner, Market Square Ventures;
2. Gale Jones Carson, President, Memphis Urban League;
3. Industry Partner Rotators (two seats available);
4. Maha Krishnamurthy, President, University of Tennessee Research Foundation;
5. Vonda McDaniel, President, Central Labor Council of Nashville and Middle Tennessee;
6. Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development;
7. Donde Plowman, UTK Chancellor;
8. Commissioner David Salyers, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation;
9. Commissioner Deneice Thomas, Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development;
10. Michael Torrence, President, Motlow State Community College;
11. Flora Tydings, Chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents;
12. Grady Vanderhoofven, President and CEO, Three Roots Capital; and
13. Robert Wagner, Associate Laboratory Director, Energy Science and Technology, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

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