Gordon Helps Kick Off Tech Corridor’s Efforts To Bring Jobs To Region
August 28, 2007, OAK RIDGE – On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon and a group of business and academic leaders from across Middle Tennessee visited Oak Ridge National Laboratory to learn how the facility could play a part in branding the region as a destination for high-tech jobs.
“We are well-positioned in Tennessee to create a synergy with our federal labs, university resources and skilled professionals to develop a high-tech corridor,” said Gordon. “The effort is already developing wide support throughout Middle Tennessee as business and academic leaders see how the corridor could translate into additional good jobs here.”
The technology corridor council, known as Middle Tennessee Mind to Marketplace, is comprised of academic professionals, businesspeople, educators, Chambers of Commerce and government leaders.
The group was formed in response to a challenge issued by Gordon calling for a coordinated effort to develop technology-based ideas in order to create jobs and expand economic development in Middle Tennessee.
"After months of connecting the dots of innovation transferred into jobs, we have unveiled our logo, Web site at www.mind2marketplace.com and mission for this Middle Tennessee initiative,” said Andrea J. Loughry, chair of Middle Tennessee Mind to Marketplace.
Dr. James Roberto, ORNL’s Deputy Director for Science and Technology, kicked-off the Aug. 28 visit with an overview of the facility and its internationally acclaimed assets. Those assets include the $1.4 billion Spallation Neutron Source, the recently announced $125 million BioEnergy Science Center, and the National Leadership Computing Facility, which operates the fastest open science computer in the world at 119 million calculations a second.
Following Roberto’s presentation, Tom Ballard, Interim Director of Technology Transfer and Economic Development, discussed the partnerships ORNL has with regional organizations around the region as part of its “Lab of the South” initiative. A panel of East Tennessee economic development professionals later participated in a roundtable to discuss their successful interactions with ORNL.
Gordon, chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology, spoke to the group about how Middle Tennessee fits into the national science perspective.
Following afternoon meetings, the group toured the Spallation Neutron Source and National Leadership Computing Facility.
