NSF Engines Development Award: Advancing carbon centric circular economy technologies for advanced manufacturing solutions (KY, TN)

该区域创新引擎发展奖的重点是召集肯塔基州和田纳西州东南部商业走廊（SCC）的工业、研发、社区、劳动力、投资和创业生态系统利益相关者，为该地区的下一代制造业和供应链设计和开发创新生态系统。到2034年，SCC将在包容性和多元化的劳动力支持下，成为下一代循环经济制造和供应链创新的全球领导者。SCC是该国制造业和供应链的核心。到2040年，肯塔基州和田纳西州通过其边境的货运吨位将超过美国几乎所有其他州。绝非巧合的是，该国四大物流公司的枢纽都设在SCC。此外，许多重点行业的关键部件，如金属和电动汽车（EV）电池，将在该地区生产。该地区包括路易斯维尔、列克星敦、纳什维尔、诺克斯维尔和查塔努加等高潜力的创新增长中心，拥有一流的研究型大学和下一代制造业研究领域的国家实验室领导者，但也有陷入困境的城市社区和农村地区，其中50%的县被列为经济困境。由肯塔基大学和其他12个核心合作伙伴领导，包括四所R1研究型大学，三所博士大学，一所R2 HBCU，一个领先的国家实验室，SCC的社区学院系统，其首要的技术经济发展非营利组织，领先的行业参与者和领导组织的州政府，游戏改变引擎得到了SCC中53个其他合作伙伴的支持，包括23个行业合作伙伴。利用与下一代制造和供应链相关的专家主导的技术推力，发展奖旨在建立整个SCC的创新生态系统。它将允许项目团队在一个全面的过程中与GAME Change行业和社区合作伙伴合作——利用主要差距验证研讨会——旨在识别、验证、巩固和优先考虑一组更集中的使用启发型技术机会和差距。然后，引擎将利用在该地区服务水平低下的社区举办的游戏变革峰会，确保以社区为基础的代表和不同利益相关者的意见，为引擎的后续阶段制定游戏计划。使用启发研究手册将建立研究范围来证明概念。技术规模中心配备了风险工作室，位于该地区服务欠缺的社区，将作为社区参与的场所，用于测试、扩展、创业开发和与由此产生的创新相关的劳动力培训。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Regional Innovation Engines Development Award is focused on convening industrial, R&D, community, workforce, investment and entrepreneurship ecosystem stakeholders across the Southeastern Commerce Corridor (SCC) of Kentucky and Tennessee, to design and develop an innovation ecosystem for next-generation manufacturing and supply chain in the region. By 2034 the SCC will be a global leader in next-generation manufacturing and supply chain innovation for the circular economy, supported by an inclusive and diverse workforce. The SCC is the heart of the country's manufacturing and supply chains. Kentucky and Tennessee will have more freight tonnage passing through its borders by 2040 than nearly every other state in the country. It is no coincidence that four of the country's major logistics companies have their hubs in the SCC. Moreover, many of the critical components for priority industries, such as metals and electric vehicle (EV) batteries, will be manufactured in this region. The region comprises high-potential innovation growth centers of Louisville, Lexington, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga, with premier research universities and a national laboratory leader in next-generation manufacturing research, but also distressed urban communities and a rural region with 50% of its counties qualifying as economically distressed. Led by the University of Kentucky and 12 other Core Partners, including four R1 research universities, three doctoral universities, an R2 HBCU, a leading national laboratory, the SCC's community college systems, its premier tech-based economic development non-profits, leading industry participants, and the lead organization's state government, the GAME Change Engine is supported by 53 total other collaborating partners in the SCC, including 23 industry partners.Utilizing expert-led technical thrusts related to next-generation manufacturing and supply chain, the Development Award aims to establish an innovation ecosystem across the SCC. It will allow the project team to engage the GAME Change industrial and community partners in a comprehensive process - leveraging Major Gap Validation Workshops - designed to identify, validate, consolidate, and prioritize a more focused set of use-inspired technology opportunities and gaps. The Engine will then leverage GAME Change Summits located in underserved communities across the region to ensure community-based representation and input from diverse stakeholders in producing a GAME Plan for the subsequent phases of the Engine. A use-inspired research Playbook will establish research scopes to prove concepts. Technology-Scale Centers equipped with venture studios located in underserved communities across the region will be designed to serve as community-engaged venues for testing, scaling, startup development, and workforce training related to resulting innovations.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.