June ’25 Industry and Innovation Highlights
ASPIRE continues to build its ecosystem and create greater momentum with influential partnerships and high-impact events that are shaping the future of transportation. Recently, we welcomed several new members to the Industry and Innovation Board (IIB), bringing the total membership to 68, with additional prospective members in discussions with ASPIRE about possible partnerships. Our latest members — Illinois Tollway, Rekor Systems, WSP, and Charge Assist — each bring critical expertise in sustainability, infrastructure, and electrified mobility. Our members continue to engage with ASPIRE through projects, and they champion us by sponsoring webinars within their organizations. Together we’ve engaged with national leaders at major national conferences, such as the ACT Expo. ASPIRE is expanding its reach and driving innovation nationwide and internationally through collaboration and showcasing innovative technology through tours at the Electric Vehicle & Roadways facility. With our notable Industry & Innovation Day on the horizon, the road ahead is full of opportunity!
New IIB Members
ASPIRE’s Industry and Innovation Board (IIB) comprises members who contribute their expertise and resources to collaboratively advance the center’s mission of developing sustainable and electrified transportation solutions.
Illinois Tollway
Illinois Tollway and ASPIRE are collaborating to focus on advancing in-road wireless charging to expand EV infrastructure. By combining research with real-world application, this partnership supports sustainable transportation and promotes economic growth through technological innovation.
Rekor Systems
Rekor Systems and ASPIRE are uniting to help accelerate the development and deployment of intelligent transportation systems that reduce costs, improve efficiency, and stimulate job growth. This partnership exemplifies how industry and research can come together to modernize mobility and deliver tangible economic and environmental benefits at scale.
WSP
WSP is collaborating with ASPIRE to shape testbed strategy and guide implementation planning across key corridors. Together, we’re aligning technical insight with deployment needs to accelerate scalable, electrified transportation solutions.
Charge Assist
Charge Assist and ASPIRE are collaborating to enhance the user experience for EV charging through real-time data integration and smart charging access. This collaboration supports more intuitive, connected charging infrastructure as ASPIRE expands. They will also be facilitating the student Innovation Challenge as a part of the annual Industry & Innovation Day this fall.
Member Engagement & Conferences
Dallas-Fort Worth Airport Wisdom Wednesday Presentation
DFW, our only airport member, hosts a monthly lunch and learn entitled Wisdom Wednesday, sponsored by their Innovation Division, where individuals across their organization are invited to listen in on new and upcoming technologies, trends, and ideas. On April 16, ASPIRE was spotlighted to discuss the connection between the electrification of critical infrastructure and innovation. DFW invited ASPIRE’s Director of Innovation, Don Linford, to present to and answer questions from the 100+ attendees. They exchanged positive feedback and discussed possibilities of future collaboration and a pilot with DFW.
Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Earth Week: Sustainable Innovation Through Partnerships
As a part of the Earth Week Speakers Series on April 22, over 115 individuals from various departments attended the Pennsylvania Turnpike Webinar, who is one of ASPIRE’s Industry Members. Don Linford again represented ASPIRE on a panel with representatives from the Transformational Technology Office of PennDOT, Clean Cities Coalition Pennsylvania, and the CEO of Pittsburgh Technology. The panel addressed questions from the moderator and audience concerning the challenges of innovation and how to leverage partnerships in order to collaborate, which leads to greater success towards common goals and promotes sustainability.
Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo 2025
In Anaheim, CA, North America’s largest event for clean vehicle technologies and fuels convened on April 28-May 1. The expo brought together industry leaders and fleet operators to showcase innovations and explore sustainable transportation solutions. Michael Masquelier (moderator) and Dustin Maughan (panelist) represented ASPIRE at the EV Charging Event. Also on the panel were representatives from our Industry & Innovation partners including Michele Mueller from Michigan DOT, Michael Roeth from the NACFE, and Keith Jack from PTC. Discussions focused on recharging innovation, specifically in regard to EV-charging roadways, wireless charging, and more.
Learn more about this expo here.
Cache County Economic Summit
At this regional conference, co-hosted by Bank of Utah and the Cache Valley Chamber of Commerce on April 29, local leaders gathered to discuss the vision and growth of Cache Valley in regard to economic developments and opportunities. Don Linford presented an overview of ASPIRE, then sat on a panel answering audience’s questions concerning advanced air mobility and electrification opportunities, especially concerning the Logan Cache Airport.
Learn more about this conference here.
Beta Technologies E-Aviation Tour
BETA Technologies made a high-impact stop in Cache Valley during their E-Aviation Tour, offering a first look at their electrified air taxi technology. The event — organized by 47G, UDOT, the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, and the Bear River Association of Governments — highlighted how innovation-driven electrification can improve air quality and deliver low-cost air transportation options. Dr. Regan Zane and Anca Matcovschi represented ASPIRE at this landmark moment for Utah’s transportation future.
EVR Tours
On April 11, leadership from Big-D Construction visited the ASPIRE EVR in Logan. There they discovered new technological advancements and discussed the benefits of a collaboration with ASPIRE’s electrification efforts.
A few days later, on April 15, Cache Valley Electric representatives also came out to the ASPIRE EVR in Logan to tour ASPIRE’s innovative technology and ground-breaking research, as well as discover opportunities for additional collaboration.
Upcoming Events
Industry & Innovation Day
Mark your calendars for our Industry & Innovation Day coming up on November 3-4 to expand upon conversations started at the CERV conference earlier this year!
ASPIRE’s Industry & Innovation Day is the annual capstone event of the center that brings together our expansive network of Industry and Innovation Members, key ecosystem stakeholder partners, students, staff, and researchers to not only celebrate progress but also chart the path forward in sustainable transportation solutions. This year’s event will feature a student competition among our affiliated universities, the “Innovation Challenge”. This new event is being organized and facilitated by Charge Assist, a new ASPIRE Industry Member. The workshops, entitled “The Next Mile Workshops,” will be solution-driven using a business canvas methodology for the discussions throughout the day. During lunch, a keynote speaker will deliver a presentation on updates in the electrified ecosystem. The day will conclude with our renowned ASPIRE Technology Showcase, which features not only ASPIRE projects, student talents, and demonstrations but also showcases some of the Industry and Innovation members’ technologies and projects. This is an excellent dynamic event for fostering collaboration and innovation in electrified transportation, as well as for professional and academic networking.