On May 9, representatives from Vanderbilt University and Nissan gathered for a “Vanderbilt-Nissan Project Showcase” at Nissan’s North American headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee. The event brought the two organizations together to reflect on key projects and collaborations that have taken place over the last year.
The day kicked off with remarks from Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, Nissan Chairperson Jeremie Papin, and Nathan Green, Vice Chancellor of Government and Community Relations, followed by showcases of several projects.
World’s Largest Traffic Experiment: Nissan’s Josh Westerhold and Ben Matthews along with Vanderbilt professor of engineering Dan Work talked about the CIRCLES I-24 testbed project which tested the technological capabilities of adaptive cruise control to reduce or eliminate traffic jams. In what has been called the world’s largest traffic experiment, researchers from Vanderbilt analyzed data from 100 specially equipped Nissan Rogue vehicles driving along a section of I-24. This was the first research project conducted on I-24 MOTION, a smart highway equipped with more than 300 4K digital sensors. Preliminary results showed that a single AI-equipped vehicle could influence the speed and driving behavior of up to 20 surrounding cars, causing a positive ripple effect in day-to-day traffic.
Unleashing Innovation and Creativity: Nat Mason and Sean McNamara of Nissan Product Planning and the Wond’ry’s Dave Owens and Mandy Lalrindiki shared details on their “innovation collaboration” which served to energize Nissan’s product planning with new strategies to unleash creativity. The program exposed Vanderbilt students and faculty to new industry work methods and challenges.
Talent Connections: Nissan’s Brittany Stone and Vanderbilt’s Alex Sevilla gave an update on the strategic recruiting partnership between the two organizations. Stone spoke to the numerous internships and full-time hires produced through this relationship thus far. Sevilla highlighted bold new approaches by Vanderbilt to supercharge career empowerment and transform student aspirations into successful outcomes. Vanderbilt's intentional engagement with Nissan has generated a meaningful increase in exposure and opportunities for students.
Collaborating for the Future: Finally, Padma Raghavan, Vanderbilt vice provost for research and innovation gave an overview of how Nissan and Vanderbilt are driving innovation together through co-innovation of next-gen solutions, catalyzing multisector partnerships, and creating a regional innovation economy.
The collaborative projects showcased at this event highlighted the power of partnership in driving innovation and transforming industries. Bridging academia and industry, Vanderbilt and Nissan demonstrated the immense potential for technological advancements, experiential learning opportunities, and a future of continued breakthroughs.