AGP Executive Report

Subsea Engineering: DEEP has installed its Vanguard subsea human habitat off the Florida Keys, a first-in-decades open-ocean system designed for crews of up to four aquanauts and now moving into sea acceptance testing. Nuclear & Energy: Centrus Energy cleared a major milestone with a $900M DOE task order to pivot its HALEU enrichment cascade toward commercial operations, targeting delivery of 1 metric ton by 2032. Infrastructure in Tennessee: U.S. Army Corps crews at Chickamauga Lock Replacement placed the first massive concrete beam for the upstream approach wall, a precision step in a larger navigation upgrade. AI & Computing: Meta is reportedly developing a cloud business to sell excess AI computing capacity, aiming to monetize infrastructure and compete with major cloud providers. Public Health: CDC-linked research suggests far more people in lone-star tick regions—including Tennessee—may be at risk for alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy to red meat. Local Tech/Workforce: ASE acquired WrenchWay to expand its automotive workforce platform, while Tennessee’s collision repair industry is gearing up for an ADAS-focused conference. Health Awareness: Former Titans star Chris Johnson revived the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge after announcing his ALS diagnosis.

Plant IP & turf science: Wimbledon’s grass varieties stay secret, but the tournament’s durability comes from plant variety protection and precision turf management—an example of how plant breeders’ rights shape elite sports surfaces. First Amendment in Tennessee higher ed: A University of Tennessee professor cleared a major fight after a Facebook comment about Charlie Kirk’s death led to dismissal; the UT system approved a roughly £1.5M payout tied to the lawsuit. Critical minerals in Tennessee: IperionX closed its Camden acquisition, aiming to speed development by using at-surface, pre-processed mineral stockpiles that complement its adjacent Titan project in Tennessee. Defense-grade 3D printing expansion: Beehive Industries bought Ohio machine shops to scale metal 3D-printed jet engine production, adding machining capacity alongside its Knoxville additive manufacturing hub. Healthcare device trial milestone: Xeltis hit 50% enrollment in its US pivotal trial for aXess, a bioabsorbable hemodialysis vascular access implant. Local tech & workforce: Baptist Memorial’s Memphis-area Technology Services team earned a cybersecurity award, highlighting continued investment in healthcare IT security.

Health & Policy: New abortion-medication and HPV vaccine access limits take effect today in Iowa, Mississippi, and Tennessee, as a federal lawsuit continues over whether telehealth rules for mifepristone stay in place. Elections & Tech Policy: Sen. Marsha Blackburn says she was “on federal time” after refusing to answer campaign questions outside a Nashville elevator—an exchange that’s gone viral. Public Safety & Justice: A Collegedale teen’s preliminary hearing included police playing his confession in the killing of a missing man, where he described “serving justice” after learning the victim was a sex offender. STEM & Workforce: Metro Nashville and Davidson County will host a July 23 career fair with openings across IT, public safety, healthcare, engineering, and more. AI & Industry: Meta is reportedly planning to sell surplus AI computing capacity via a cloud business, putting pressure on major providers. Research & Medicine: Carilion Clinic is expanding clinical trials for radiopharmaceutical “theranostics,” aiming to broaden access to targeted cancer therapies. Local Tech/Business: Unum Group promotes Andrew Walker to EVP and Chief Customer Operations Officer, expanding customer-operations transformation efforts.

Memory Supply Focus: Intelligent Memory is touting long-term DRAM and Managed NAND availability for industrial, medical, and embedded customers at FMS 2026, including support for legacy DDR3/DDR4. Submarine Industrial Base: Amaero won a $344,000 piping production contract tied to critical submarine industrial base needs, continuing its work with Bechtel Plant Machinery and the U.S. Navy. Severe Weather Tech: Tennessee Valley Weather added weather balloon launch capability to collect vertical atmospheric data, with results shared with the National Weather Service and emergency partners. STEM Workforce Pipeline: IMEG announced engineering scholarships for 30 students, while Amteck celebrated a large REAP graduation class in Dyersburg. Healthcare Innovation: Harrow launched BYOOVIZ, an FDA-approved ranibizumab biosimilar for wet AMD and other retinal conditions. Education Results: Tennessee released 2025-26 TCAP state-level gains in ELA and math proficiency. Ocean Research: DEEP installed Vanguard, an open-ocean subsea human habitat in the Florida Keys, enabling multi-day underwater missions.

AI in Retail: Knoxville’s Majors Management is partnering with ResultStack to roll out AI for pricing, inventory, loyalty, labor planning, and customer experience across its convenience-store network. Public Health & Tech: Tennessee Oncology’s Sara Nunnery hosts new breast-cancer research briefings, including discussion of the SERENA-6 trial’s biomarker-driven switch strategy and the growing role of GLP-1s in survivorship metabolic care. Healthcare Innovation Access: A Tennessee engineer is helping low-income Americans get free 3D-printed dentures, aiming to cut cost and wait times for a service Medicare typically doesn’t cover. STEM + Industry Growth: UT Knoxville approved higher tuition and new differential rates for natural sciences and engineering, while UT also approved fee changes tied to undergraduate degree programs. Local Infrastructure: Nashville’s stormwater tunnel work near Watson Park will force street lane reductions and closures starting July 6. AI Data Centers & Power: A new report highlights how power equipment—not chips—is becoming the bottleneck for AI data-center expansion, with long lead times for transformers and switchgear. Starlink in Memphis: SpaceX is offering half-price Starlink for eligible Memphis-area addresses tied to its xAI Colossus expansion. Biotech Research Update: 4D Molecular Therapeutics will present 2-year follow-up results for its PRISM Phase 2b retina gene-therapy trial. Sports Tech/Policy: The Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship and also cleared the way for state bans on transgender athletes in girls’ sports.

Biotech Breakthrough: Provectus Biopharmaceuticals and VisiRose won a U.S. patent for a light-independent rose bengal sodium eye drop aimed at drug-resistant Gram-positive infections, including MRSA—potentially enabling at-home use without an activation step. Healthcare Tech: HAPPI Health is piloting CareImpact.ai to expand AI-powered patient engagement and care coordination across North Alabama, targeting preventive care and chronic-condition follow-ups. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure: CISA warned that Daktronics highway-sign and billboard controllers have serious flaws, including default admin access and upload/path issues that could let attackers take control—prompting patching and password changes. Tennessee Higher Ed: Tennessee Tech will launch a fully online agribusiness degree pathway this fall, keeping the same lectures and exams as in-person classes. Health Policy Watch: CMS issued an interim final rule shaping how states implement Medicaid work requirements, including a narrower definition of “medical frailty” tied to community engagement. Energy & Tech Policy: A Trump Justice Department filing seeks dismissal of an NAACP Clean Air Act suit targeting xAI’s data-center power turbines near Memphis, arguing national security concerns. Local Tech/Business: Ntracts launched CLM Flex for smaller healthcare organizations to reduce contract sprawl and speed approvals. Human Story: Former Titans RB Chris Johnson revealed an ALS diagnosis, using an eye-controlled speech device to speak on “Good Morning America.”

ALS and assistive tech in the spotlight: Former Tennessee Titans star Chris Johnson, 40, revealed on ABC’s “Good Morning America” that he has ALS and now communicates with an eye-controlled speech-generating device as the disease rapidly limits speech and movement. Public health and early detection: Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital urged younger adults to get screened for colorectal cancer as diagnoses rise in the Upper Cumberland, citing national trends that show more cases before age 55. Heat safety for Tennessee-area communities: A major heat dome is pushing dangerous heat and high humidity across the region, with officials opening cooling centers and urging hydration and check-ins on seniors and others at risk. Local tech policy tensions: Critics are pushing back on Fisk University’s proposed Nashville data center, arguing the project could repeat concerns raised by other data-center plans near major community sites. Digital access via libraries: State Rep. Dan Howell announced a TOP grant for the Meigs-Decatur Friends of the Library to expand broadband-related services and digital literacy. AI literacy for small towns: TSBDC is offering “Learning AI Without a Computer” in Cocke County to help residents understand AI basics and separate hype from reality.

Biotech & Diagnostics: Insight Molecular Diagnostics says its CSO Ekkehard Schuetz has published his 200th paper, tied to dd-cfDNA graft-rejection testing used across its GraftAssure assays. Cyber & AI Policy: Tennessee lawmakers are among states considering AI “consciousness” bills that would lock in AI’s lack of legal personhood, raising concerns about shutting down future scientific review. Public Health & Environment: A DOJ move argues Memphis-area residents can’t sue over xAI data-center pollution tied to methane-burning turbines, spotlighting the fight over corporate pollution liability. STEM & Research in Sports: UT Knoxville turfgrass researcher John Sorochan helped FIFA validate temporary World Cup fields, showing how university science supports major events. Manufacturing & Jobs: PGI plans to reopen the former Champion Labs facility in Albion, aiming to restore nearly 200 jobs and bring back local filtration know-how. Education & Workforce: A Milken Institute report says most states’ free community college programs exclude adult learners; Tennessee is one of the few offering comparable tuition support for adults. State Budget Watch: USDA data shows Tennessee’s SNAP payment error rate at 9.44%, putting the state at risk of future financial penalties unless performance improves.

Autonomous Driving Watch: A fatal Tesla crash in Texas has regulators digging in after the driver said Autopilot was engaged, while Tesla’s AI software chief disputed that account—NHTSA and NTSB opened investigations, adding to the growing scrutiny of “FSD (Supervised).” Healthcare Costs: States are moving to lower drug prices by targeting pharmacy benefit managers, with Tennessee set to bar PBMs from operating retail pharmacies starting July 1, 2028. AI Infrastructure Debate: SoftBank chair Masayoshi Son argues orbital AI data centers fail basic cost math because hardware and launch/latency dominate, keeping the AI compute race firmly on Earth. STEM & Research in Tennessee: Shelby County is planning modernized DNA testing at the TBI forensics lab, while Tennessee Tech’s board approved a new architecture degree and other initiatives. Education & Public Health: A JAMA Network Open study links active hormone birth control pills with higher emotional eating scores for some women, and a new summer learning model shows charter students can gain significant ground. Forestry Leadership: Gov. Bill Lee appointed Heather Slayton as Tennessee state forester, overseeing forests, seedlings, inventory, and wildfire response.

Nuclear Power Push: The U.S. Department of Energy selected TVA for a $400 million grant to speed up deployment of a Generation III+ small modular reactor at the Clinch River site, aiming for commercial operation in the early 2030s. AI Infrastructure: Microsoft says its Fairwater AI campus in Wisconsin is now fully operational, linking hundreds of thousands of NVIDIA GPUs into a single AI supercomputer-style cluster—raising big questions about the power demand behind next-gen computing. Local Tech & Health Marketing: Nashville-based TRUE Addiction and Behavioral Health partnered with Web Logix Group to expand access to care using an AI-driven healthcare growth platform. Education & Workforce: ETSU Pharmacy is offering a free online dual-enrollment class for high schoolers, while Cocke County’s new Innovation Center received $500,000 in state funding to expand hands-on trades training. Public Health Data Clash: In South Memphis, residents and researchers are disputing recently released neighborhood air-quality findings, with health officials challenging the methods and conclusions. STEM Outreach: A former Tennessee Titans player launched a free football-and-STEAM camp for kids at Bishop State Community College.

SNAP Oversight: The national SNAP payment-error rate hit 10.62% in FY 2025, well above Congress’s 6% threshold, raising the stakes for states under new quality-control rules that could trigger financial penalties starting Oct. 1, 2027. Air Quality Debate: In South Memphis, residents and researchers are clashing with Shelby County health officials over a neighborhood pollution report based on PurpleAir monitoring, with the dispute centered on how much residents should trust the data. STEM & Workforce Education: ETSU’s Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy is offering a free, online dual-enrollment class for eligible high school students, while Cocke County’s Innovation Center received $500,000 in state funding to expand hands-on trades training. Health Access: ETSU Health is highlighting prenatal breastfeeding consultations, positioning them as the region’s only prenatal lactation option. Local Recognition: Lincoln Memorial University named Newport educator Dr. Whitney Butler to its 2026 “40 Under 40,” and Hawkins County senior Blake Cope earned a VFW CTE scholarship for industrial maintenance training at TCAT-Morristown.

FTC & Space Tech: The FTC cleared Elon Musk to acquire Mesh Optical Technologies, a startup by ex-SpaceX engineers making optical transceivers for AI data centers, fast-tracking the antitrust review and finding no major competition concerns. Tennessee Agriculture (Direct Sales): UT Extension is launching a free six-session webinar series on direct-to-consumer beef sales, running Tuesdays Feb. 10–March 24, with UT specialists and industry partners. Tennessee Agriculture (Summit): UT Extension will also host the Southeast Tennessee Beef Summit on April 24 in Athens, covering breeding, costs, replacement heifers, and new tech, plus a trade show. Conservation Farming: Milan No-Till Field Day is set for July 23 at the AgResearch and Education Center in Milan, featuring talks on no-till, cover crops, nutrient management, and pest control. Energy Infrastructure: Enbridge’s Ridgeline Expansion natural gas pipeline project is on schedule for completion this fall, targeting tie-in by Oct. 1 and gas delivery to TVA Kingston by Nov. 1. Marine Science: A new subsea human habitat, Vanguard at Tennessee Reef, is planned for April deployment in the Florida Keys, adding to NOAA’s existing research infrastructure. Local STEM/Workforce: UT Extension is accepting applications for paid summer internships through its Tennessee Extension Internship Program, with positions tied to community outreach, science, and agriculture.

STEM Education Spotlight: Newport Grammar School in Tennessee earned a Tennessee STEM Designated School honor, joining an elite group of just 145 statewide for hands-on, real-world learning. Workforce & Aviation Training: Cirrus Aircraft opened a new Duluth Talent Center and plans to hire 240+ team members, aiming to funnel recruits into engineering, manufacturing, and technical training. Cybersecurity Funding Pressure: Tennessee and other states say the next challenge after federal cybersecurity grants is sustaining local defenses as the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program winds down. Business Momentum: Tennessee reported a record number of company registrations, with about 486,000 entities and strong quarterly filing numbers tied to job and revenue growth. Public Health & Policy: A federal court blocked SNAP food restriction waivers in five states, ruling USDA exceeded its authority—an issue that includes Tennessee. Local Tech/Community Learning: UT Extension intern Maggie Lindsey is using environmental and soil science training to support farm sampling and testing for state fair readiness.

Energy Planning: TVA posted its latest Integrated Resource Plan and opened a final comment period, mapping how it could add 11–32 gigawatts of capacity by 2040, with natural gas still central and nuclear technology also in the mix. Data Centers & Policy: A new wave of community pushback is colliding with fast data-center buildouts, with lawmakers scrambling over rules tied to water and electricity impacts. Workforce & Training: Grundy County bought the former National Guard Armory for $150,000 after a $1 million grant, aiming to turn it into TCAT classes and expand local education space. Healthcare Tech: CommonSpirit Memorial in Tennessee is offering Vivistim, a new stroke therapy for patients with lingering arm and hand weakness. STEM Education: Tennessee Tech’s board approved a new Bachelor of Architecture degree, targeting growing demand for architects across the state. Local Development: Franklin’s Brownland Farm proposal would create “The Banks at Brownland,” a sports complex anchored by a Predators-operated ice facility. Business & Industry: Fastweigh unveiled a refreshed brand for its bulk-material operations software platform. Health Access: Tennessee conditioned enrollment in a children’s special services program on families disclosing immigration status, raising concerns for about 400 kids statewide. Materials Manufacturing: SI Group and Shengxiao Group launched a China joint venture to expand biphenol production for advanced materials used in electronics and medical markets.

Energy & IP: Shoals Technologies Group, based in Portland, won a key U.S. International Trade Commission ruling affirming Voltage imported infringing products, a win for U.S. electrical-infrastructure IP protection. Healthcare & Research: A Vanderbilt-Ingram expert discussion highlights how multiple myeloma care is moving toward quadruplet regimens, bispecific antibodies, and CAR T—plus efforts to de-escalate therapy when patients hit deep remission. Cybersecurity & Privacy: Tennessee AI vendor Xsolis is notifying about 1.4 million people after a phishing-driven hack exposed sensitive personal and medical data. AI Governance: A new report warns many Prime Day discounts may not be true “lowest price” deals, while Amazon disputes the methodology. Local Tech & Infrastructure: TVA is seeking public comment on its Preliminary Final 2026 long-range electricity plan, with data-center growth driving demand. Workforce & Learning: ETSU students head to the MATE ROV World Championships in Canada, testing an underwater robot built for real-world marine challenges. Public Safety Tech: UT Arboretum’s July 9 program spotlights synchronous fireflies and how pesticide use threatens them. Business & State Policy: Tennessee lawmakers approved a $356M contract increase for the private-school tuition subsidy portal vendor Student First Technologies.

AI Cybersecurity: Researchers say an AI-powered worm can autonomously scan networks, find vulnerabilities, compromise new devices, and spread without human guidance—raising alarms for how fast attacks could adapt. Biotech & Open Science: Provectus Biopharmaceuticals launched Veripure™, an open science program making pharmaceutical-grade rose bengal sodium (PV-10) available to qualified medical researchers worldwide. Energy & Industry: Korea Zinc and Australia’s PM discussed “Project Crucible,” a critical-minerals smelter planned in Tennessee aimed at strengthening U.S. processing capacity. STEM Education & Workforce: Chattanooga State and ETSU announced a 4-year apprenticeship pathway with BlueCross, building a longer pipeline from training to credentials. Public Health: A new study suggests calcium and vitamin D may do little to prevent falls for many older adults not at high risk. Local Tech & Housing Finance: iEmergent supports the CONVERGENCE Knowledge Hub with a Market Profile Dashboard to help communities spot homeownership gaps and affordability barriers. Tennessee Policy Watch: Lawmakers approved a $356M contract increase for a private-school voucher portal operator, despite reported issues in other states.