Virginia Tech is competing for as much as $100 million in federal funds to support economic development through a regional transportation and logistics cluster that will accelerate the adoption of electric and automated vehicles and revitalize the economy of Southern and Southwest Virginia.
A coalition led by the university was selected as one of 60 finalists for the $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. The challenge, which received 529 applications from across the country, aims to accelerate the economic recovery from the pandemic. It is the largest economic development initiative from the Commerce Department in decades.
Virginia Tech has assembled a team of higher education partners, industry and community representatives, small-business development centers, and others to build upon the region’s existing strengths in vehicle manufacturing, vehicle testing and evaluation, and technology-based economic development.
“This award opens the door to transformative economic opportunities for Southwest and Southern Virginia in the transportation and logistics sector, and the coalition led by Virginia Tech offers a remarkable hub of resources to support the growth of this industry,” U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine said.
“This project has the potential to bring transformational change to Southwest and Southern Virginia and to shrink the economic divide between our rural and urban communities,” Virginia Tech President Tim Sands said. “It will tap into Virginia Tech’s world-recognized expertise and our ability to convene diverse partners to tackle some of humanity’s most pressing problems.”
The coalition involved in the project includes 50 public and private organizations from 21 counties across Southern and Southwest Virginia.
The region boasts one of the largest collections of truck manufacturing plants across the country, with companies including Torc Robotics, Mack, Volvo, and Morgan-Olsen. Daimler Truck acquired a majority stake in Torc, a leader in self-driving autonomous vehicle software, and automated truck systems.
The proposal was developed by Virginia Tech’s Center for Economic and Community Engagement, part of Outreach and International Affairs, and the Office of the Vice President for Strategic Alliances. Faculty and staff from across the university — including the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership, and the College of Engineering — will be instrumental in moving the project forward.
