Tennessee
| Program | # of Grants | EDA Funds |
|---|---|---|
| Economic Adjustment Assistance | 1 | $1,300,000 |
| Public Works | 1 | $1,500,000 |
| Planning | 4 | $276,326 |
| Technical Assistance |
1 | $128,592 |
| Total | 7 | $3,204,918 |
Automotive manufacturing accounts for more than one-third of advanced industry employment in Tennessee, serving as an anchor for a nascent ecosystem of research and innovation and employing a highly skilled and educated workforce. In the past 24-months alone, 151 manufacturers have announced expansions or new locations in the Tennessee’s Drive for the Future Consortium (DRIVE!) region. The region is now home to six major automotive manufacturers and 582 manufacturers in the automotive supply chain, employing more than 90,000 workers.
In 2014, EDA announced DRIVE! as an Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) designated community. The DRIVE! initiative will accelerate the development of a strong and growing automotive cluster in the Tennessee Valley, already the fifth largest region in the country for automotive industry employment. To catapult the competitiveness of its industry to the next level, DRIVE! will invest in the region’s public and private research and innovation assets, rapidly accelerating the region’s growth while reaching new heights of global automotive leadership. The DRIVE! strategy will integrate research and innovation resources with both training institutions and the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region to ensure that the region remains globally competitive and continues to emerge as a leading center for advanced automotive technologies.