UNCG announces BRIGHT Institute, furthers foray into growing Triad battery industry
From left, electric cars from Nissan, Tesla, and Toyota are presented at a news conference in Los Angeles on Dec. 13, 2013. Worldwide demand for lithium was about 350,000 tons in 2020, but industry estimates project demand will be up to six times greater by 2030. NICK UT/AP
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro is carving out a space for itself in the Triad’s growing battery manufacturing landscape.
The school’s recently launched BRIGHT Institute will work with students to train and prepare them for careers in the field.
The race to train new professionals was spurred in recent years by Toyota’s multi-billion dollar investment into its battery plant in Liberty, just a half-hour southeast of Greensboro.
UNCG Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement, Sherine Obare, says the university’s BRIGHT Institute is well positioned to become a hub for research in battery technology and the industry that supports it.
"This institute really leverages the strengths which UNCG already has in a variety of fields ranging from transportation, business, natural products," Obare says. "And so we’re utilizing that as a way to make sure that our students are trained and are available for the growing group of companies that are coming to this region."
Obare says while UNCG doesn’t have a battery technology degree program, the Institute is building new labs for students to get hands-on experience handling the precious metals and minerals that go into these products.
The Toyota plant and its surrounding infrastructure are expected to generate over 5,000 jobs in the area.
Santiago Ochoa covers healthcare for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. Follow him on X and Instagram: @santi8a98
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