UTK and ORNL celebrate their partnership with Volkswagen
The event commemorated five-years since it was launched.
Leadership from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), Volkswagen Group of America, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory celebrated more than a decade of collaboration and the fifth anniversary of the Volkswagen Innovation Hub Knoxville on April 24. Since 2011, UTK and Volkswagen have partnered on strategic research projects that have accelerated the discovery and commercialization of new technology, including battery performance, materials science, power electronics and mobility system design.
The Volkswagen Innovation Hub, located at UT Research Park at Cherokee Farm, is the first of its kind in North America and only one of five worldwide. The Hub was established in January 2020 to foster collaboration between UT faculty and students, ORNL scientists, and Volkswagen engineers. Together they have worked to develop lighter and stronger composites for auto body parts, advance high-power wireless charging concepts, and discover ways to upcycle materials that traditionally have been considered nonrecyclable.
UTK Chancellor Donde Plowman expressed gratitude for the partnership and for the trust Volkswagen has placed in UT faculty and students.
“The willingness of Volkswagen to pursue big ideas and explore creative problem solving is a big reason why this collaboration has been so successful,” Plowman said. “I’m grateful for this partnership, the relationships we have built, and the important work we’re accomplishing together. I can’t wait to see what’s next.”
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