Partnerships

Ensuring our research solves global grand challenges—and real-world problems for companies and communities

We intentionally partner with industry, government, academic and community organizations to develop our research questions and shape our research outcomes. We provide our partners with unparalleled access to world-class researchers and facilities, as well as the opportunity to connect with future generations of innovators.

UT researchers collaborate with hundreds of partners, from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups and from federal government agencies to local nonprofits. The organizations named below, while representing a fraction of the full list, are examples of long-term partners.

Chris Killian, Eastman Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, visits with attendees during the Eastman Innovation Center dedication.

“Tennessee has everything we need to be leaders in this. We have great faculty, technology, and government and industry partners. What we learn here, we can take to the rest of the world.”

—Deborah Miller, Director, One Health Initiative; Professor, School of Natural Resources

Key Industry Partners

Amazon

Amazon has invested significantly in Tennessee jobs as well as in educational opportunities at UT. Our deep expertise and expanded research capacities in supply chain logistics, freight transportation, and aviation biofuels enable UT and Amazon to create value through collaboration on many fronts.

Group of leaders from UT and Eastman prepare to cut an orange ribbon.

Eastman Chemical Co.

Longtime partner Eastman, headquartered in East Tennessee, dedicated a campus innovation center in 2022. Researchers from Eastman and UT are focusing on materials and manufacturing innovations that address climate change and help mainstream the circular economy—work that is relevant to a variety of commercial applications.

FedEx

The largest publicly traded company headquartered in Tennessee, FedEx supports UT research by partnering with the Logistics, Transportation, and Supply Chain Engineering Lab. FedEx is also an advanced industry partner in the UT-led TEAM TN collaboration to advance electric vehicle research, manufacturing, and workforce development across the state.

A paddleboarder in the Tennessee River at sunset.

Tennessee Valley Authority

TVA provides electricity and Tennessee River management efforts, such as flood control, that serve 10 million people in Tennessee and surrounding states. It is an important partner in our research and innovations in clean energy, infrastructure, and a sustainable environment.

Volkswagen

UT faculty and students, Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists, and Volkswagen engineers come together to perform cutting-edge research on lightweight structures, sustainable materials, and electric mobility at the Volkswagen North American Innovation Hub at the UT Research Park at Cherokee Farm. Volkswagen also partners with TEAM TN.

Key Government Partners

Birds-eye view of trees in the Smoky Mountains with fall-colored leaves.

Appalachian Regional Commission

This economic development entity of the federal government and 13 state governments invests in Appalachia’s economic future to address economic disparity in the region. ARC and UT partner in research, workforce development, and the Appalachian Leadership Institute.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

ORNL is a vital partner in climate change action, clean energy, materials and manufacturing innovations, sustainable transportation projects, and many more research areas. Through the UT–Oak Ridge Innovation Institute, our researchers transfer technology between our facilities and drive innovation-based economic growth.

Tennessee Department of Health

TDOH is an important partner in projects where environmental and human health intersect. The agency plays a role in the Tennessee RiverLine partnership as well as the research and outreach advanced by the UT One Health Initiative.

TDOT employees working on bridge construction in Tennessee.

Tennessee Department of Transportation

TDOT is a core partner and funder for research areas related to sustainable transportation and infrastructure. It is a key member of the statewide TEAM TN collaboration, the Tennessee Travel Demand Model User’s Group, and other collaborations.

Key Nonprofit Partners

Bipartisan Policy Center

This Washington, DC, think tank, co-founded by the late Tennessee Senator Howard Baker, has partnered with UT through the Baker School to connect academic researchers with policymakers, develop innovative research initiatives, and translate findings into nonpartisan public policy insights.

Several semi trucks and a few smaller vehicles travel down an interstate in East Tennessee.

East Tennessee Clean Fuels

A designated coalition with the US Department of Energy Clean Cities Program, this nonprofit works to increase the use of cleaner American fuels and energy-saving transportation technologies. The coalition is staffed and housed through a contract with UT through the Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment.

Chancellor Donde Plowman and several other people in orange kayaks on the Tennessee River.

Tennessee RiverLine Partnership

This nonprofit is a joint initiative of several UT colleges and departments in addition to corporate and government partners including the Tennessee Valley Authority. The partnership is bringing to life a vision for a continuous system of hiking, biking, and on-water experiences along the entire length of the Tennessee River, which runs from Knoxville to Paducah, Kentucky.

Birds-eye view of a river winding through the mountains in East Tennessee.

Tennessee Water Resources Research Center

Led by a statewide advisory committee, the center facilitates research, trains students in water resource management, and serves as a key resource for government agencies on water-related issues. It is housed within UT’s Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment.