Cultivating a Community of Innovation
ORNL’s Economic Development team connects local, state, and national partners to ORNL technologies and know-how, creating new companies, high-tech jobs, and strong communities.
East Tennessee hosts a nuclear resurgence
East Tennessee hosts a nuclear resurgence
ORNL is actively involved in promoting East Tennessee’s nuclear industry and consulting with nuclear businesses that move into the area. “Getting these companies here has always been a priority of the lab,” said Mickey Wade, associate laboratory director for fission and fusion energy and science. “You can see that with the number of nuclear companies that are in the East Tennessee region."
IRIS
Launched in 2025, the Innovation and Research for Industry Success (IRIS) grant program aims to lower the barrier for companies to pilot innovative technologies and pursue new discoveries within the state, while also demonstrating the strength of Tennessee’s research capabilities and fostering long-term corporate investment in the state’s innovation ecosystem.
