University of Tennessee Martin breaks ground on Tennessee Entrepreneurial Science and Technology Hub

The University of Tennessee Martin recently broke ground on its new Tennessee Entrepreneurial Science and Technology Hub, an $18 million facility designed to enhance advanced manufacturing education and to serve as an innovation space. The facility will open sometime in 2027.

According to an article on the University of Tennessee Martin’s website, Chancellor Yancy Freeman said of the project, “The Tennessee Entrepreneurial Science and Technology Hub, the TEST Hub, will serve as the cornerstone for economic and workforce development in Northwest Tennessee. It will forge innovative partnerships between industry and educational institutions, strengthening our region’s workforce and economic vitality. A national model for rural development, the TEST Hub is a national model for demonstrating how public universities can revitalize rural communities.”

The TEST Hub will become home to many facilities which will be utilized by the communities of UT Martin, Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology Henry/Carroll, and Dyersburg State Community College. The partnership between the institutions made the TEST Hub possible, according to University of Tennessee President Randy Boyd. He said at the February 27 groundbreaking ceremony, “We have a TCAT (Tennessee College of Applied Technology), a community college and a four-year school proposing to the governor and the legislature a new facility in which we work together. And for the state of Tennessee to be successful, we were most successful when we worked together. This is just the epitome of that, and we’re so proud to be a lead partner in that and have it on our campus and be partnering with our folks at the TCAT and the community college.”

Housed within the facility will be a makerspace, academic classrooms, and manufacturing workshops. It will also become home to the Martin Regional Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Center and to the Tennessee Small Business Development Center, which are currently located within downtown Martin. 

Dr. Nancy Buschhaus, who was recently appointed dean of University of Tennessee Martin’s College of Engineering and Natural Sciences, noted that the TEST Hub is expected to positively impact the number of degrees and certificates earned by students. She noted that she expects the Hub will help produce an additional 55 bachelor’s degrees, 27 associate degrees, and 13 certificates per year.

“This is not just an investment in education, it’s an investment in the future of Tennessee’s workforce, economy and innovation. Together we are paving the way for generations of learners to achieve their dreams and strengthen their communities,” Buschhaus said.

For more information about the University of Tennessee Martin, visit the school’s website.