Knoxville, TN, Preps for Next Industrial Revolution with The 2030 Protocol
As the economy becomes increasingly tech-driven, communities across the country are investing in infrastructure, education and innovation to ensure they can compete. Knoxville, TN, is no exception, and it’s working hard to prepare talent for the next industrial revolution. Insert the Knoxville Chamber’s The 2030 Protocol, an initiative that connects the necessary elements (e.g., education, government, industry) to develop a blueprint to make this area a future-forward region.
“The arrival of the next industrial revolution – the Imagination Age – will bring a seismic change in the economic drivers of communities across the country and world,” says Mike Odom, president and CEO of the Knoxville Chamber. “Our research indicated that Knoxville is not prepared to leverage those drivers in order to increase the economic prosperity of our community. The 2030 Protocol is our set of recommendations that we believe will put Knoxville in a position to not only take advantage of the Imagination Age, but also to thrive in it.”
Here are nine things you need to know about the Knoxville, TN, area’s The 2030 Protocol.
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1. It will help build a high-tech workforce.
The chamber says one of the most critical components of The 2030 Protocol is the investment in education and workforce training in the Knoxville, TN, region. Partnering with local schools, colleges and universities, the chamber is looking to increase educational programs that focus on artificial intelligence, data science, robotics and software engineering.
“The vast majority of the Protocol’s components are directly related to talent, and that was very much on purpose. We know that the most precious resource of the Imagination Age will be talent,” Odom says. “Therefore, we are recommending that there be significant gains in engineering- and computer-related enrollment at the University of Tennessee (UT), Knoxville and Pellissippi State Community College (PSCC).”
2. It will result in infrastructure upgrades.
The 2030 Protocol includes significant investments in foundational infrastructure needed to foster a computing-related economy. For example, the plan calls for establishing a quantum computing network between UT Knoxville, PSCC and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). These upgrades will enhance efficiency and provide a backbone for future technological innovations. The area is also expected to develop an innovation-centered space at Pellissippi Corporate Center (PCC) business park. Currently, PCC boasts a high concentration of technology-based companies and research institutions, including the ORNL Manufacturing Demonstration Facility.
3. It will encourage investment in smart starts.
The leaders behind the Knoxville, TN, area’s The 2030 Protocol recognize that a high-tech talent pipeline runs through the local public schools.
“At the middle- and secondary-school level, we are partnering with Knox County Schools (KCS) and their 865 Academies initiative to expose students to the sizable number of jobs that will exist in the computing-related space once they enter the labor market as well as the salaries that will be tied to those jobs,” Odom says. “We are also working with KCS to provide opportunities for the students to see these roles in action through company tours and job shadowing opportunities.”
4. It will foster public-private partnerships.
Building a sustainable tech economy requires collaboration between the public and private sectors. The 2030 Protocol promotes these partnerships by aligning the region’s goals with private innovation. Whether through tax incentives or shared research initiatives, the region is committed to creating a business-friendly environment that inspires long-term growth.
5. It will attract tech giants and startups.
The Knoxville area is already home to several high-tech startups, including Aro, a screentime monitoring app developed by a UT Knoxville alumnus; Lirio, a health-tech company that uses AI to help patients lead healthier lives; and RDI Technologies, which makes motion amplification software. Additionally, The 2030 Protocol plans to further support the development of high-tech startups by including innovation and entrepreneurship as a tenure track component at UT Knoxville.
“The 2030 Protocol gives the community focus on our future,” says Brian Strong, CEO of TenHats, an enterprise-grade IT services company. “For the longest time, we haven’t thought about being a tech community. There are a lot of tech people in our community who work remotely. The more we focus on being a tech community, the more tech-friendly we become. As a tech firm, the more people are interested in technology, the better for us.”
6. It will integrate advanced technologies.
The chamber says to prepare for a future workforce driven by advanced technologies. Under The 2030 Protocol, Knoxville plans to integrate AI and machine learning into every level of education and training, from early childhood to post-secondary.
“We are in a new age where businesses are starting to really want more out of their technology. As applications have gone to the cloud and have become more stable, businesses are wanting more from their data,” Strong says. “They want to work smarter, not harder. Businesses want IT to help with the operations of the company to make it more efficient. 2030 is about getting talent into the pool that can solve those problems.”
7. It will help grow the economy.
According to McKinsey Global Institute, the Knoxville region is poised to lose some 90,000 jobs to automation by 2030, particularly in the manufacturing, logistics and hospitality services sectors. At the same time, jobs in IT and computer technology are expected to outpace other occupations, and the average salary of these jobs is more than double the average salary of occupations in other sectors. The 2030 Protocol proposes that adding more high-paying jobs to the workforce will help grow the economy.
8. It will help the Knoxville region compete on a global stage.
The chamber says The 2030 Protocol strategies will make the region more attractive to global companies that rely on technology-based talent. A prime example is Elo Touch Solutions, which manufactures touch screens for retail, health care and hospitality industries. With a presence in the city, the company exports its products to more than 80 countries. Investments in The 2030 Protocol will position Knoxville as a top competitor not only in the region, but in the world.
9. It will make a commitment to “civic furniture.”
For the last few years, the chamber has been advocating for Knoxville to increase what it calls “civic furniture,” meaning the aspects of a community that enhance its attractiveness to people and companies. The 2030 Protocol specifically recommends a commitment to identifying and investing in the diverse types of things that assist in the retaining of the talent that will be so critical in the Imagination Age. The development of the soon-to-open Covenant Health Park is a great example of this “civic furniture” approach.