As the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) largest science and technology laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) delivers the big science, big impact breakthroughs that accelerate solutions in energy and global security, which creates economic opportunity across the country. We strengthen American innovation through discoveries that are enabled by our multidisciplinary research teams and powerful research tools, such as Frontier, one of the world’s fastest supercomputers.

Our core science areas include fusion and fission energy, isotopes, neutrons, supercomputing, physical sciences, national security, biological sciences, and energy science and technology. We’re also home to eight DOE user facilities that serve as resources for the global science community: the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF), the Spallation Neutron Source, the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, the High Flux Isotope Reactor, the National Transportation Research Center, the Carbon Fiber Technology Facility and the Building Technologies Research and Integration Center.

By leveraging our scientific strengths and user facility resources, ORNL is advancing the technology needed to ensure secure, affordable, and reliable energy for Americans. Our work also fosters U.S. competitiveness through the transfer of lab-developed technology to industry. Overall, ORNL conducts research and development with the nation’s security in mind, making sure scientific and technological achievements protect our future by securing critical infrastructure and addressing emerging threats.

How does TEAM TN align with ORNL’s goals? 

TEAM TN and ORNL share a commitment to innovation that creates economic opportunities. Like TEAM TN, ORNL is based in East Tennessee and is dedicated to creating regional impact by advancing technologies that provide business opportunities to local industries, which, in turn, supports the development of the regional workforce.

TEAM TN gathers stakeholders together to increase industrial research in the state and address gaps in workforce development.

Likewise, ORNL’s scientific expertise is a powerful resource that can be leveraged for industrial competitiveness. One recent example of this was the launch of a new Beehive Industries facility in May 2024, a $4-million, 60,000-square-foot operation in Knox County that uses additive manufacturing to design and develop jet engines for defense applications. Beehive’s Knoxville presence was established through the acquisition of Volunteer Aerospace, a start-up company developed by a University of Tennessee student who worked alongside researchers at the MDF for several years. The knowledge, support, and resources gained from this relationship inspired the formation of a company focused on 3D printing for rapid part production for defense and energy industries, made locally but shipped throughout the world.

Beehive is one of many success stories that point back to research at ORNL. The company’s growth shows the power of collaboration and how science-based innovation leads to job opportunities and regional economic growth.

How do you see TEAM TN helping Tennessee grow its leadership in the advanced mobility sector? 

TEAM TN provides the collaborative network needed for sharing the economic potential of innovations across the state. By connecting key thought-leaders from industry, academia, and local and state governments, TEAM TN is serving as the foundation through which new technologies can rapidly find applications that can energize the state’s economy.

ORNL is leading these technologies with research advancements in AI, electrification, cybersecurity, and automation, which are also found across our core science areas. Our research supports mobility advancements in various direct and indirect ways by supporting all facets of automotive science. Directly, we’re developing critical materials such as new lightweight alloys for vehicles to improve performance and we’re optimizing engines by improving fuel design. Our modeling capabilities are also finding ways to improve traffic flow in congested cities like Nashville and Chattanooga.

Indirectly, for example, ORNL’s research with machine learning is supporting a resilient electric grid to meet the nation’s power demand, which also supports transportation technologies that rely on the grid. One recent innovation is the development of a new modeling method that can provide rapid and accurate simulation of grid behaviors so that utilities can better estimate when and where to direct electricity to improve supply and demand. It’s this type of innovation that TEAM TN can enhance by providing a platform to engage with potential partners, which can bridge scientific advancements to real-world impact.

What does the future hold for ORNL in terms of growth, innovation or community involvement?

The future of Tennessee is found in today’s classrooms. ORNL seeks to inspire students to pursue careers in research and to develop the next generation of scientific leaders. We support STEM—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—education outreach to local K-12 schools and student education programs.

In 2025, UT-Battelle, which manages ORNL for DOE, is contributing more than $400,000 for the purchase and installation of advanced manufacturing equipment for a program at Oak Ridge High School that gives students direct experience with the AI- and robotics-assisted workplace of the future. These funds will help purchase a machining center for mold making, tool and die work, and other high-precision manufacturing that’s integral to the design of future automobiles. ORNL is also providing the school with software that slices 3D model designs and controls the entire manufacturing process. Our manufacturing engineers served as advisors for the design and selection of components for the school’s system and will provide installation assistance and initial training.

This donation is the type of support we seek to foster in more schools and across strategic research areas in computing, cybersecurity and quantum sciences. It’s a foundational step that will drive advancements in science and mobility throughout Tennessee.