The state of Tennessee has been selected for the federal government’s new State Manufacturing Leadership Program, and the University of Tennessee’s Institute for a Secure & Sustainable Environment (ISSE) is a partner.
The U.S. Department of Energy, through the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, is partnering with states to accelerate the adoption of smart manufacturing and high-performance computing technologies across their small- and medium-sized manufacturing (SMM) firm base.
Last November, the DOE announced its second round of state selections, which included Tennessee, for award negotiation to establish or expand programs that accelerate adoption of smart manufacturing and high-performance computing technologies by SMMs.
Tennessee’s federal cost share was $1.7 million, with ISSE receiving nearly $620,000 in funding. ISSE Director Mingzhou Jin is the program’s principal investigator for UT’s portion of the Tennessee Partnership for Smart Manufacturing (TPSM).
“Through TPSM, the Tickle College of Engineering will contribute to the adoption of smart manufacturing among small- and medium-sized manufacturers, build a workforce pipeline for advanced manufacturing, and make the state of Tennessee a national leader in manufacturing,” said Jin, the department head for Industrial and Systems Engineering.
Smart manufacturing refers to the use of emerging and advanced technologies—such as advanced sensors, data analytics, and process control—to increase the efficiency of traditional manufacturing processes. By adopting smart manufacturing technologies, firms can lower costs, increase energy efficiency and performance, reduce material demand, and improve product quality.
TPSM is a coalition of partners that will work together to deliver smart manufacturing and high-performance computing awareness and outreach, education and training, assessments and roadmapping, as well as assistance in implementation and operations tailored to the needs of SMMs across Tennessee.
Along with UT’s ISSE and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation-Office of Sustainable Practices (TDEC-OSP), the key partners of the TPSM project include Tennessee Tech University, University of Memphis, and Tennessee Manufacturing Extension Program (MEP).
According to TDEC, the goal of TPSM is to assist Tennessee SMMs as they implement smart manufacturing and use high-performance computing to optimize production, reduce costs, and reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, while training the existing SMM workforce and next generation of SMM workers on these technologies. Ten manufacturing facilities will receive executable plans to implement smart manufacturing improvements through detailed “roadmapping” services.
TDEC anticipates TPSM having wide-reaching community impacts by providing well-paying, stable jobs for Tennesseans. The program will expose students to SMMs, help students identify career opportunities, and encourage them to join SMMs. The program will revolutionize 32 unique manufacturing facilities through advanced sensor use, computing capabilities, simulation, optimization, and other SM technologies through comprehensive TPSM technical assessments. An important goal is to ensure at least 40% of SMMs in the program are in disadvantaged communities, as defined by the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool.
Contact
Rhiannon Potkey (865-974-0683, [email protected])