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. Tennessee has been selected for the new State Manufacturing Leadership Program, Tennessee Partnership for Smart Manufacturing (TPSM). The major participants and key partners in this project are Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Office of Sustainable Practices, Tennessee Tech University, University of Tennessee, Knoxville (via the Institute for a Secure & Sustainable Environment), University of Memphis, and the Tennessee Manufacturing Extension Program. ISSE Director Dr. Mingzhou Jin will be the program’s principal investigator.
The Federal Cost Share for TPSM is $1,700,032. ISSE’s portion is about $450k for requested funding and $165,000 as cost sharing.
TPSM partners will work together to deliver smart manufacturing and high-performance computing awareness and outreach, education and training, assessments and roadmapping, assistance in implementation and operations, and continuous improvement tailored to the needs of SMMs across Tennessee. 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.
TPSM is projected to have wide-reaching community impacts by providing well-paying, stable jobs for Tennesseans. The program will expose engineering and other 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.
In November 2024, DOE announced the selection of five states for award negotiation to receive $9.3 million to establish or expand programs that accelerate adoption of smart manufacturing and high-performance computing technologies by SMMs. These selections will give SMMs access to beneficial resources such as technical assistance, training, facility assessments, apprenticeships, and financial assistance.
