Tennessee

EDA awarded 24 grants totaling $21 million in the State of Tennessee in FY 2012. These investments support the growth of advanced manufacturing in the State, as well as critical infrastructure improvements that will assist the State’s ongoing disaster recovery efforts. These investments are expected to create or retain 6,812 jobs according to grantee estimates.

Investment Spotlight: EDA Investment Supports the Next Generation of Manufacturers

With close proximity to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, eastern Tennessee is a region at the forefront of research and innovation. Through its partnership with EDA, Tech 20/20, a venture development organization based in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is grooming the next generation of manufacturers who will bring that research to the marketplace.

Tech 20/20 provides training, mentoring, funding, and incubator space to new business start-ups. In 2012, EDA announced Tech 20/20 as a winner of the Advanced Manufacturing and Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge for its proposed project AMP! - Advanced Manufacturing and Prototype Center of East Tennessee. At the core of the AMP! project are three primary goals: connecting resources to encourage collaboration and expansion of advanced manufacturing jobs; developing a workforce that will drive innovation and expand entrepreneurship; and, innovating and improving manufacturing processes and technologies. Tech 20/20 has already made many important accomplishments to advance these goals. The group has organized R-AMP, the Regional Advanced Manufacturing Prototype Consortium, which is composed of representatives from more than 30 local manufacturers who gather regularly to discuss issues and opportunities in advanced manufacturing. Tech 20/20 is also working to expand robotics competition in the region, aiding with the development of the Smoky Mountain Regional FIRST Robotics Competition, which paired 600 high school students, teachers, mentors, and volunteers, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers.