University of Tennessee President Randy Boyd credited partnerships for making the UT Martin Tennessee Entrepreneurial Science and Technology (TEST) Hub possible. He made his comments during the groundbreaking for the new facility held Feb. 28 near the construction site behind the university’s Student Recreation Center.
The event was attended by university and elected officials, TEST Hub partners and members of the UT Board of Trustees, which concluded the board’s winter meetings earlier in the Boling University Center.
“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,” he told those gathered for the ceremony.
“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.”
Once completed, the $18 million facility will provide hands-on manufacturing engineering education and a regional innovation hub that will support the region’s workforce and economic development. The facility is currently scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2027.
Funded by the Tennessee General Assembly in April 2022, the TEST Hub will combine educational facilities, entrepreneurial centers and manufacturing workshops surrounding a shared industrial makerspace. UT Martin Chancellor Yancy Freeman recognized State Sen. John Stevens of Huntingdon (R-District 24) and Rep. Tandy Darby of Greenfield (R-District 76) for their support in the Tennessee General Assembly.
Through partnerships with the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology Henry/Carroll and Dyersburg State Community College, the facility will offer educational opportunities at the certificate, associate and bachelor’s degree levels, as well as career and technical education opportunities for the region’s high schools.
The TEST Hub will also be the new home for the UT Martin Regional Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Center. The REED Center assists existing and potential business owners through one-on-one consultations and interactive training programs. The center houses the Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC) that is currently located in downtown Martin.
Freeman sees population growth and economic progress in the region among the facility’s future benefits.
“The Tennessee Entrepreneurial Science and Technology Hub, the TEST Hub, will serve as the cornerstone for economic and workforce development in Northwest Tennessee,” Freeman said. “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.”
Dr. Nancy Buschhaus, longtime UT Martin faculty member and the newly named dean for the university’s College of Engineering and Natural Sciences, said the facility’s impact will be felt beyond the classroom. She said the TEST Hub is projected to contribute to the production of an additional 55 bachelor’s degrees, 27 associate degrees and 13 certificate holders each year. It is also estimated to help produce a total of 1,138 new engineering graduates from UT Martin, Dyersburg State and TCAT.
“This is not just an investment in education, it’s an investment in the future of Tennessee’s workforce, economy and innovation,” Buschhaus said. “Together we are paving the way for generations of learners to achieve their dreams and strengthen their communities.”
Learn more about the TEST Hub by contacting Buschhaus at 731-881-7385.
PHOTO: The groundbreaking for UT Martin’s new TEST Hub was held Feb. 28 near the construction site behind the university’s Student Recreation Center. The event was attended by university and elected officials, TEST Hub partners and members of the UT Board of Trustees, which concluded the board’s winter meetings earlier in the Boling University Center. Pictured (l-r) are Daniel Longserre, UT System Department of Capital Projects; John Penn Ridgeway, president, TCAT Henry/Carroll; UT Martin Chancellor Yancy Freeman; Dr. Nancy Buschhaus, dean, UT Martin College of Engineering and Natural Sciences; UT System President Randy Boyd; Amy West Martin, Dyersburg State Community College and the Tennessee Board of Regents; and Mary Haizlip, Haizlip Studio, Memphis architectural firm.
