KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The University of Tennessee dedicated a new center on Thursday meant to connect faculty with leaders in the chemical manufacturing industry, giving them resources to continue researching different kinds of chemical products and materials used in manufacturing.
They are calling it the "Eastman Innovation Center," after the Eastman company which makes materials used in several products people use daily. The center is located in the UT Business Incubator, which is meant to be a place where technology companies can collaborate with the university on different projects.
“Our two institutions have decades of shared history,” said Steve Crawford, a leader at Eastman. “Today is a significant new chapter in that history.”
The center is also an expansion of the research relationship between UT and Eastman that started in 2015. As part of that relationship, UT said Eastman would keep a presence on campus and its scientists would rotate through the Knoxville areas to learn more about research proposals from faculty and students.
“A dedicated facility that brings Eastman employees to UT’s campus with a constant presence will substantially increase future collaborations. It is a win-win for both organizations," said Dayakar Penumadu, a professor at UT.
A formal research agreement between UT and Eastman was also extended through 2026. Part of that agreement involved Eastman giving at least $1 million to help fund research.
UT said they hope to use these resources to focus on research that could improve sustainability goals.
“We see abundant opportunities—especially on climate and material circularity—where we can work together to make a meaningful impact not only for the university and Eastman, but also for the state and especially for the East Tennessee region,” said Deborah Crawford, vice chancellor for research at UT.
For example, UT collected plastic from football games and processed them at Eastman to see how well molecular recycling technologies could work. In that 2021 project, the plastic was turned into reusable water bottles. Similar initiatives will continue into 2022, officials said.
It will also be the 30th anniversary of "Good Sports Always Give Back," a UT recycling program that Eastman helped start.
They also hope to further research into materials used in automotive manufacturing. With this research, they hope to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and produce lightweight car parts made from other recycled materials.
“This is about mutual benefit, but it’s also about a greater purpose—serving the public good," said Steve Crawford. "Those ‘big ideas’ for renewables and circularity that we’re able to develop in the next few years can be applied across the region and the world.”