January ’26 Industry and Innovation Highlights
Theme for 2026: Convene | Connect | Collaborate
In 2026, ASPIRE’s Innovation efforts are guided by a simple principle — Connect, Convene, Collaborate — bringing the right people together at the right time to turn shared challenges into coordinated action, accelerated learning, and real-world progress.
What is the Innovation Ecosystem?
ASPIRE’s Innovation Ecosystem is a coordinated network connecting research, industry, government, and communities — aligning talent, testbeds, data, and decision-makers to move electrified transportation solutions from concept to real-world deployment.
Members Highlights
ASPIRE’s Industry and Innovation Board (IIB) comprises members who contribute their expertise and resources to collaboratively advance the center’s mission of developing self-sufficient and electrified transportation solutions.
ASPIRE Agency Discussion Group
The ASPIRE Agency Discussion Group includes 5 DOTs and 3 Tollways that have been meeting once every other month throughout 2025.
We’re excited to formally introduce the working group and to collaborate together through 2026!
SENAI EVR Tour
Don Linford connected with SENAI, a Brazilian entity, to not only host them at the EVR in Logan, but also to connect them with several other ASPIRE members and stakeholders, opening the door for several meaningful connections.
Looking Forward: Transportation Research Board (TRB) 2026
ASPIRE’s Director of Innovation & the Ecosystem, Don Linford, is attending the largest transportation research conference — featuring over 4,000 presentations and workshops addressing topics of interest to policy makers, administrators, practitioners, researchers, and representatives of government, industry, and academic institutions. The conference will be held January 11-15 in Washington, D.C.
