UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

(Press-News.org) Leadership from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Volkswagen Group of America and Oak Ridge National Laboratory celebrated more than a decade of collaboration and the fifth anniversary of the Volkswagen Innovation Hub Knoxville on April 24. Since 2011, UT and Volkswagen have partnered on strategic research projects that have accelerated the discovery and commercialization of new technology, including battery performance, materials science, power electronics and mobility system design.

The Volkswagen Innovation Hub, located at UT Research Park at Cherokee Farm, is the first of its kind in North America and only one of five worldwide. The Hub was established in January 2020 to foster collaboration between UT faculty and students, ORNL scientists and Volkswagen engineers. Together they have worked to develop lighter and stronger composites for auto body parts, advance high-power wireless charging concepts and discover ways to upcycle materials that traditionally have been considered nonrecyclable.

UT Chancellor Donde Plowman expressed gratitude for the partnership and for the trust Volkswagen has placed in UT faculty and students.

“The willingness of Volkswagen to pursue big ideas and explore creative problem solving is a big reason why this collaboration has been so successful,” Plowman said. “I’m grateful for this partnership, the relationships we have built and the important work we’re accomplishing together. I can’t wait to see what’s next.”

Research Collaboration in Action

UT’s relationship with Volkswagen began in 2011 when the automobile manufacturer opened its plant in Chattanooga — a facility that now employs more than 5,000 people. The partnership was formalized in 2018 with a master research agreement, which was extended in 2023.

Through the Innovation Hub, UT and Volkswagen developed the VW PhD Fellows, a one-of-a-kind program that integrates UT doctoral candidates into Volkswagen as full-time employees while they work toward their dissertation. The first VW PhD Fellows have finished or will finish their programs this academic year, and one has already transitioned to a full-time position with Volkswagen.

Results of the collaborative research between Volkswagen and UT have already influenced Volkswagen brands around the world, and the Hub connects to Volkswagen Group’s global innovation network in Germany, Israel, China, Japan and Singapore. The team developed a fiberglass-reinforced plastic lift gate for the Volkswagen Atlas that weighs 35% less than the metal-based version. UT also connected Volkswagen with Eastman, a global specialty materials company based in Kingsport, Tennessee, whose carbon renewal technology creates high-quality automotive parts from recycled materials, reducing fossil fuel reliance and emissions.

At the celebration, guests had the opportunity to explore exhibits showcasing successful projects from the Innovation Hub. Experts from Volkswagen and UT were on hand at each station to highlight innovative technologies such as recycled composites, paper-based composites and high-speed wireless charging.

“This partnership has been outstanding,” said Lyndon Lie, executive vice president and chief engineering officer for Volkswagen North America. “It’s tied in the strength of the university, the innovation and leadership of Oak Ridge Lab on the government lab side, to industry. And that’s been critical to take some of the inventions and the research projects and bring those to a production level where we can actually put those in our products that our customers can see and benefit from.”

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