Initiatives

Explore our current and upcoming initiatives and investments into the future of Nashville.

Nashville Tech Studio

Our Nashville Tech Studio leverages the expertise of Nashville’s universities, piloting and deploying tech-based solutions that address some of the largest, complex challenges facing Metro Nashville.

Piloting new technology at a small scale allows the city to test new ideas, remedy unexpected challenges, and build trust with communities before implementing solutions citywide.

The Alliance brings together innovators and city departments to identify civic challenges that could be solved through tech solutions.

Acting as a matchmaker, we connect city leaders with Nashville innovators to develop, test and scale tech-based solutions to improve city services.

view of Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, TN

If you are an innovator at a university or company (big or small) who is interested in participating and supporting our community challenges, we want to hear from you. Contact us at info@nashvilleinnovationalliance.org.

Current Tech Studio Projects

Advancing ten projects across the city of Nashville and Nashville’s strong academic partners, the Nashville Tech Studio seeks opportunities to address some of the city’s most challenging problems—from making our streets safer using LiDAR technologies to enhancing training for emergency dispatchers using simulation software—our teams are thinking of innovative ways to support the public good for all of Nashville.

The Studio’s inaugural grant connects Vanderbilt University and the Nashville Fire Department to optimize Fire Department resources using simulation software to better prepare emergency response and even predict future incidents. The Studio’s work will build from the learnings of existing partnerships between academia and Metro Nashville ensuring impactful future projects.

Project:
Leveraging Advanced Data to Deliver Multimodal Safety Phase II

What is it?
LiDAR remote sensing technology to spot and fix safety issues (starting soon)

Metro Department:
NDOT

Partners:
Vanderbilt University,
Tennessee State University,
University of Tennessee Chattanooga

Project:
Leveraging Advanced Data to Deliver Multimodal Safety Phase I

What is it?
LiDAR remote sensing technology to spot and fix safety issues (recently completed)

Metro Department:
NDOT

Partners:
Vanderbilt University,
Tennessee State University,
University of Tennessee Chattanooga

Project:
Fixed-Line Transit 2.0: Real-Time Optimization of High Frequency Transit Service

What is it?
Automation and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning to address unreliable transit service

Metro Department:
WeGo

Partners:
Vanderbilt University

Project:
AI-based Emergency Dispatch Call Simulator “Angie”

What is it?
Simulation software to enhance training for emergency dispatchers

Metro Department:
Emergency Communications

Partners:
Vanderbilt University

Project:
WeGo Public Transit Occupancy Detection

What is it?
Software that forecasts overcrowding to improve passenger experience

Metro Department:
WeGo

Partners:
Vanderbilt University

Project:
WeGo Public Transit Headway Management

What is it?
Software that anticipates problems, buses near areas of disruptions

Metro Department:
WeGo

Partners:
Vanderbilt University

Project:
Data-Driven Monitoring & Optimizing of Right-of-Way Permits

What is it?
LiDAR remote sensing technology to detect unauthorized road closures

Metro Department:
NDOT

Partners:
Vanderbilt University

Project:
Confidence-Guided Automated System for Non-Emergency Calls

What is it?
Software to automate non-emergency 3-1-1 calls

Metro Department:
Emergency Communications

Partners:
Vanderbilt University

Project:
Confidence-Guided Automated System for Non-Emergency Calls

What is it?
Software to automate non-emergency 3-1-1 calls

Metro Department:
Emergency Communications

Partners:
Vanderbilt University

Project:
Early Warning Detection for Water Management System

What is it?
Early warning detection dashboard for water system

Metro Department:
Metro Water Services

Partners:
Vanderbilt University

Nashville Tech Studio Model


Research & Development

Deploy university research expertise to study and develop solutions for urban challenges, regardless of commercial viability.

Pilot & Scale

Test and scale commercially viable urban innovation products to provide solutions for Nashville and beyond.

Current Metro-University Collaboration Examples

For nearly a decade, local universities have collaborated with Metro Nashville to design, implement and evaluate numerous use-inspired projects to address complex socio-technical challenges facing the city and region.

Examples include:

WeGo bus at a bus stop, Vanderbilt mascot Mr. C and WeGo public transit employee

Public transportation

man concentrating on screens with headset

Emergency response optimization

view of cars and pedestrians crossing Broadway in downtown Nashville, TN

Multimodal transport & pedestrian safety

school children gathered around a globe with teacher

Nashville Partnership or Educational Equity Research

The Nashville Tech Studio builds on the foundation of these collaborations by supporting additional pilot projects that align with the city’s needs.

Want to get involved?

Contact Us

Nashville Innovation Alliance

Get Involved

Contact us:
info@nashvilleinnovationalliance.org

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