Access to world-class research facilities, federally-owned utility services and graduates from highly-ranked post-secondary institutions gives Knoxville-based businesses a distinct advantage.
Regional Assets
Economic Advantages
Electric Power Research Institute
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) conducts research, development, and demonstration projects for the benefit of the public in the United States and internationally. As an independent, nonprofit organization for public interest energy and environmental research, EPRI focuses on electricity generation, delivery, and use in collaboration with the electricity sector, its stakeholders and others to enhance the quality of life by making electric power safe, reliable, affordable, and environmentally responsible.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is the largest US Department of Energy science and energy laboratory, conducting basic and applied research to deliver transformative solutions to compelling problems in energy and security. ORNL’s diverse capabilities span a broad range of scientific and engineering disciplines, enabling the Laboratory to explore fundamental science challenges and to carry out the research needed to accelerate the delivery of solutions to the marketplace.
National Transportation Research Center
The National Transportation Research Center (NTRC), established in 2000, is the Department of Energy’s only designated user facility focused on performing early-stage research and development in transportation technologies. The facility is dedicated to accelerating the pace of research and development for new materials in next-generation systems, providing decision-making tools for sustainable transportation systems, and creating economic opportunity by improving the energy efficiency of vehicles to support a robust transportation system for people and commerce.
Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a corporate agency of the United States that provides electricity for business customers and local power companies serving 10 million people in parts of seven southeastern states. In addition to operating and investing its revenues in its electric system, TVA provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists local power companies and state and local governments with economic development and job creation.
University of Tennessee
The primary mission of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is to move forward the frontiers of human knowledge and enrich and elevate the citizens of the state of Tennessee, the nation, and the world. As the preeminent research-based land-grant university in the state, UT embodies the spirit of excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, creative activity, outreach, and engagement attained by the nation’s finest public research institutions
Knoxville Chamber Economic Development efforts
are funded in part by:
Doug Lawyer
VP of Economic Development
Discuss the economic advantages of operating in the Knoxville region.