NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced today $1 million will be awarded to two collaborative teams through the Transportation Network Growth Opportunity (TNGO) initiative. Today’s announcement marks the third and fourth of eight total recipients receiving grants through the second round of TNGO funding.
TNGO, which has received a total of $7.5 million in funding through the Tennessee General Assembly, serves as a tool to diversify the state’s economy by leveraging both public and private sector assets to attract mobility research and development (R&D) investment to Tennessee. The initiative serves as part of the state’s efforts to make Tennessee the No. 1 destination in the Southeast for automotive and mobility R&D investment.
“Tennessee is leading the nation as a beacon of opportunity and freedom, and now it’s time for our state to take the next step as a leader in research and innovation,” said Gov. Bill Lee. “Today’s announcement highlights two teams who are thinking more boldly about modernizing transportation in Tennessee, and I look forward to seeing how their research will bring about greater opportunity for Tennesseans.”
The selected projects exemplify how Tennessee can lead in industry-driven and collaborative mobility R&D and will serve as catalysts to attract additional industry-related R&D investment to the state.
“We are making significant strides as a state when it comes to investing in research and development because we know that with assets like Vanderbilt and Tennessee State University in our backyard, Tennessee, and specifically, Nashville, have the potential to become an epicenter for innovation, R&D and technology,” said TNECD Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter. “I’m proud to take part in announcing another $1 million in funding through TNGO today and believe the collaboration and research that results from these grant dollars will further prepare Tennessee to land the jobs of the future.”
The grant recipients listed below include students and faculty from Tennessee’s leading research institutions who will partner with industry, economic developers and community leaders to bring their plans to fruition.
Vanderbilt University and Motive, Davidson County – $500,000
Vanderbilt and Motive are partnering to advance AI-powered safety research on Tennessee’s I-24 corridor, using Motive’s real-time data to prevent collisions and protect drivers across one of the state’s busiest freight routes.
Vanderbilt University leads the research arm of the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s I-24 MOTION testbed and is partnering with Motive – the leading AI company that helps physical operations teams improve safety, productivity, and profitability – to increase driver safety along Tennessee’s I-24 corridor.
Headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Nashville and around the world, Motive brings deep expertise in AI and driver safety to this important initiative. Using Motive’s platform data, Vanderbilt researchers will analyze collision patterns to develop proactive safety protocols that reduce accidents and save lives along one of Tennessee’s busiest freight corridors.
“This project will combine large-scale vehicle data with infrastructure and traffic data, giving us a better understanding of crashes on our roads and allowing us to find new ways to proactively improve road safety in Tennessee.” – Will Barbour, senior research scientist, Vanderbilt University
“This partnership reflects Motive’s commitment to Zero Harm and Zero Preventable Accidents. With data from over 1 million drivers and AI Dashcams capturing billions of miles each month from our more than 100,000 customers across industries including transportation and logistics, construction, energy, field service, agriculture, food and beverage and the public sector, Motive delivers one of the most comprehensive views into driving behavior and road safety. Partnering with Vanderbilt, one of the nation’s top research institutions, marks a critical step toward building a safer future for drivers in Tennessee and beyond.” – Robson Greive, chief marketing officer, Motive
Tennessee State University and GEODIS, Davidson County – $500,000
Optimizing freight routing by developing predictive models capable of reducing congestion and improving routing decisions
GEODIS will share its relevant traffic, logistics, freight movement and multimodal
transport data with Tennessee State University in an effort to reduce congestion and increase efficiency for freight vehicles while also increasing road safety. The project will also foster public-private collaborations such as TDOT Freight Planning and leading logistics firms.
“Tennessee State University is excited and prepared to address rising congestion, inefficient routing and inadequate truck parking as part of TNGO’s initiative to meet the economic and population growth in the state of Tennessee. We are uniquely positioned to utilize our expertise in transportation and incorporate state-of-the-art AI approaches to contribute to the continued growth of Tennessee in partnership with industry in metropolitan Nashville and around the state.” – Quincy Quick, PhD, associate vice president of research and sponsored programs and chief research officer, Tennessee State University
“GEODIS is proud to partner with Tennessee State University on the OPTIMA-FLEET project to help shape the future of freight logistics in Tennessee. As a global leader in multimodal and ground transportation, we are excited to contribute our data and expertise to a research effort that aligns so closely with our mission of smart, sustainable logistics. This collaboration will not only strengthen innovation and mobility in our state but also set a new benchmark for public-private partnerships in freight efficiency and safety.” — Dave Martin, Vice President, GEODIS Logistics LLC
Each proposed project aligns with Tennessee’s key automotive and mobility technology strengths and opportunities outlined in a 2022 mobility assessment report from Guidehouse Consulting, which was supported by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the University of Tennessee System and Vanderbilt University.
For more information or questions, please reach out to [email protected].
About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
TNECD is the state’s primary agency committed to fostering economic growth through job creation and community development. By attracting new corporate investment and facilitating the growth of existing businesses, the department works to strengthen Tennessee’s competitive landscape. Additionally, TNECD strives to increase the economic prosperity for all Tennesseans by providing grants to communities statewide, helping them to become vibrant, business-friendly environments where companies can flourish. For more information, visit us at tnecd.com. Join the conversation on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.
Motive Media Contact
[email protected]
TNECD Media Contact:
Chris O’Brien
Public Information Officer
[email protected]
(615) 934-5879
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