Science and Technology Corridor Celebrates 25 Years of Innovation in Transforming Our Region

Oak Ridge, Tenn. – Top leaders from the Tennessee Valley Corridor (TVC) announced today that Congressman Phil Roe (TN) and the Tri-Cities, TN/VA Appalachian Highlands region will play host to hundreds of top science and technology leaders from across the Tennessee Valley Corridor (TVC), when the organization convenes its annual National Summit at Milligan College in Johnson City, Tenn., May 27-28, 2020.

Representing twelve congressional districts working together across the Tennessee Valley region in Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Alabama, the award-winning TVC regional economic development group has supported federal science and technology missions in the Corridor for more than two decades.

The TVC’s annual National Summit is a two-day event designed to share information and advance collaboration between our region’s top federal assets with key educational institutions, local chambers and civic organizations, businesses, and political leaders.

“There are important federal missions being conducted and tremendous technological discoveries occurring all across the Tennessee Valley Corridor,” said U.S. Rep. Phil Roe. “In hosting the TVC National Summit this year at Milligan College in Johnson City, our region has the opportunity to share our story and to look for ways to partner and leverage the terrific work taking place all across the Corridor.”
Registration for the 2020 TVC National Summit in Johnson City will open soon, but Summit Sponsorship opportunities, which includes registrations and exhibiting at the Summit’s trade show, are available now at www.TennValleyCorridor.org. Organizers suggest signing up early as space for both attendees and exhibits at the 2020 National Summit will be limited.

“The Tennessee Valley Corridor and our National Summit are key to maintaining and advancing the important federal missions and investments taking place across the twelve congressional districts that make up the Corridor,” said Bill Tindal, TVC board chair, and CNS site manager of the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge.

“When we work together, our region can compete against any region in the country in serving our nation and solving many of our most important science and technology opportunities and challenges. We look forward to being in Johnson City to celebrate the past 25 years of working together and to accelerate our momentum for the future,” said Tindal.

Sessions at the 2020 Summit will be devoted to showcasing science and technology in the Tri-Cities region, and key updates and discussions from across the Corridor related to America’s national security, energy and environment, education and workforce, and science and space exploration.

Over the past 25 years, the TVC has worked to advance important federal missions and expand federal investments in the Corridor to create more private sector job opportunities across the region. Today, federal investment in the region tops $75 billion annually and directly employs more than 150,000 across 82 different federal agencies in the Corridor.

In recent months, the Corridor organization has been working to land the new U.S. Space Command in Huntsville, Ala. In a letter sent to U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, the Tennessee Valley Corridor (TVC) Board of Directors strongly recommended Huntsville as the ideal location for the new U.S. Space Command (USPACECOM.)

“Huntsville, which is known as the ‘Rocket City,’ is an ideal location for the new headquarters for a wide variety of reasons, including its infrastructure, proximity to existing Defense Department and civilian space organizations, and highly skilled workforce in space technology,” the TVC letter stated.

“Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville is home to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, the U.S Army Space and Missile Defense Command, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research Development, the Missile Defense Agency, among others. Huntsville International Airport and Cummings Research Park, the nation’s second largest research park, also provide the area with accessibility and proximity to the nation’s top government and civilian space entities.

“Furthermore, the existing workforce in the area stands ready to meet the challenge of new space missions – and the region’s quality of life and low cost of living will be an added bonus when attracting new talent to the area…The mission support you will find in the region is unmatched and we stand ready to assist in making sure that the organization is successful,” the TVC letter concluded.

For more information about the Tennessee Valley Corridor and the National Summit and to learn how to sponsor the event, visit www.TennValleyCorridor.org, or email TVC Executive Director Darrell Akins, at dakins@akinsps.