TTED Summer Newsletter
Tom Rogers

Tom Rogers, President and CEO of Technology 2020, joined the Partnerships group on June 1 as Director of Industrial and Economic Development.

Rogers, who headed Technology 2020 since 1996, has been involved in economic development work for nearly 30 years. He started his career at the Tennessee Valley Authority where he served for eight years as Chief of Economic Development Programs before becoming President of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce in 1988 and eventually President and CEO of Technology 2020.

“Tom is one of the best known economic development administrators in the region,” said Tom Ballard, Partnerships director. Rogers assumes the position that Ballard vacated in January when he moved into his current job.

“ORNL is a fascinating place, and I'm really excited about joining the lab's Partnerships Directorate and helping even more companies leverage the incredible resources there," said Rogers. "Tech 2020 has been a very close partner with ORNL, increasingly so over the past few years, and this seems a natural transition and a terrific opportunity. I'm confident that Tech 2020 is poised for continued success, and that the organization's best days still lay ahead."

Ballard noted that Rogers and his team at Technology 2020 have played a key role in helping UT-Battelle deliver on its commitment to spawning more entrepreneurial activity locally since UT-Battelle assumed responsibility for ORNL management in 2000.

Rogers worked with Technology Transfer and Economic Development, the predecessor to Partnerships, to establish the Center for Entrepreneurial Growth as the advisory organization for start-ups connected to ORNL expertise or intellectual property. The CEG has been so successful that it has expanded to programs serving UT in Knoxville, Western North Carolina and Eastern and Southern Kentucky.

“Tom has also played a key role in helping increase the availability of early stage investment capital for start-up companies,” Ballard said. “More recently, he has played a leadership role in the creation of the Innovation Valley Nano Alliance and efforts to promote research relationships between ORNL and larger corporations.”

In the renamed position, Rogers will lead the economic development team of Alan Liby, Jennifer Palmer and Constance Powell as they work to better link ORNL to the technology needs of start-up companies and existing industries. He will also play a leadership role in business development opportunities that capitalize on the new Oak Ridge Science and Technology Park.

Rogers currently serves as Chair of the Tennessee Valley Corridor, Inc. and is on the board of directors of a number of organizations including Southeast Community Capital Corporation, Appalachian Fund Management Company, Inc., Digital Crossing Networks LLC, East Tennessee Economic Council and Meritus Ventures. He is a Certified Chamber of Commerce Executive and a 2007 recipient of the Muddy Boot Award given by East Tennessee Economic Council.

ORNL, SuperPower Inc. Sign High Temperator Superconducting Wire Agreement

OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Jan. 9, 2008 - The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) today announced that SuperPower Inc., a Schenectady, N.Y., superconducting wire manufacturer, has signed a license agreement to use an ORNL-developed technology that can lower the cost of producing superconducting wires for more efficient transmission of electricity.  

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Dec 03, 2007

With the new Joint Institute for Biological Sciences (JIBS) in the background (center right), site preparation has begun on phase one of the new Oak Ridge Science and Technology Park that is located at along Bethel Valley Road between First and Fifth Streets. The Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee (CROET) secured a grant from the U. S. Economic Development Administration to extend utilities and do site preparation. By early 2008, CROET expects construction to begin on the first two buildings in the Park. The close proximity of the Park to the new state-funded JIBS Building is significant, since the latter is home to the new $125 million BioEnergy Science Center initiative funded by the U. S. Department of Energy. Follow the evolution of the park with regular photographic updates on this web site.

Did you know

Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a Department of Energy multi-program R&D laboratory with an annual budget in excess of $1 billion, is the home of some of the greatest scientific talents and research facilities in the world. UT-Battelle, ORNL's operating contractor, has responsibility for effectively managing the ORNL resources.

UT-Battelle's Technology Transfer and Economic Development (TTED) organization is responsible for interactions with commercial businesses, including

• Business utilization of ORNL's world-class researchers and facilities, including research collaborations, contracted research, user facilities, and other arrangements
• Management of ORNL's vast portfolio of intellectual property, including licensing, patenting, etc.

With assistance from partner institutions, TTED seeks to effectively and efficiently utilize technology to support the objectives of business.

ORNL Ombudsman

An ombudsman is available through ORNL that provides a way for anyone in a business relationship with ORNL to voice concerns and resolve issues. Mike Frietze can assist with these unique attributes, it is one resource to facilitate ORNL's commitment to maintain effective, hospitable, and mutually beneficial business partnerships with members of the supplier, contractor, and technical partnership communities. Issues ranging from intellectual property disputes to dealing with the differences between ORNL and the private sector can be addressed through his office. He can also guide business partners to the appropriate formal and official resources for problem reporting and resolution.

Upcoming events

• May 28-29, 2008 - Tennessee Valley Corridor 2008 National Summit (Huntsville, AL)
• June 1-3, 2008 - Southern Growth Policies Board Annual Conference (Little Rock, AR)
• June 5, 2008 - Southeast Industrial Energy Efficiency Summit at ORNL, (Oak Ridge, TN)
• September 15-16, 2008, Tennessee Governor's Conference on Economic Development (Nashville, TN)