Tennessee Tech, U of Memphis awarded Transportation Network Growth Opportunity grants
Each is for $500,000. Tennessee Tech will work with Whisper Aero; the U of Memphis with FedEx.
Tennessee Tech University (TTU) and Whisper Aero have been awarded one of two second-round grants through the Transportation Network Growth Opportunity (TNGO) initiative at the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.
That grant of $500,000 will enable use of an existing Whisper Aero glider with two eQ250 propulsors for UltraQuiet flight demonstrations, specifically allowing Tennessee Tech faculty and students to be engaged in copper-bird ground testing to ensure the safe integration of engines, batteries, and controllers. The project will also kickstart the university’s new Crossville Mobility Incubator.
“This project will help position Tennessee’s as a leader in mobility innovation and highlights the power of state partnerships in advancing transformative technologies,” said Whisper Aero Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Moore.
The second award, also for $500,000, went to the University of Memphis and FedEx for a project to design and implement a comprehensive trucking fleet management framework for short, medium, and long-haul trucks. This unified fleet maintenance plan will leverage historical data from each depot or agency within the logistics hub to optimize operations based on remaining life (RL) and live telematics data. This project will also underscore the importance of fleet management for longevity, cost efficiency and strategic application.
The goal of the TNGO initiative is to “make Tennessee the #1 destination in the Southeast for automotive and mobility R&D investment,” TNECD said in an April 2 announcement. Thus far, the state legislature has appropriated a total of $7.5 million in funding for the initiative.
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