The U.S. DOT Volpe Center has a long tradition of facilitating knowledge exchange across the transportation community and inviting thought leaders to provide talks on timely transportation topics.

Featuring experts from within the U.S. DOT Volpe Center and across the transportation enterprise, our events feature conversations with today’s transportation thought leaders, decision makers, stakeholders, and innovators on emerging and future transportation issues—as part of our mission to advance transportation innovation for the public good.

The public is invited visit the U.S. DOT Volpe Center in person or virtually to join in the conversation on future transportation issues, generate fresh approaches to emerging issues, anticipate transportation trends, and inform decision-making. Our events are typically held at 12:00 p.m. ET, include a 45-minute talk, and feature a lively question-and-answer period.

Learn more about past events, including news recaps and video recordings.

Thought Leadership Series

• In fall 2024, we hosted Making Good on the Potential of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law sponsored by the USDOT Project Delivery Center of Excellence, a three-part series exploring lessons learned and best practices for getting big infrastructure projects off the ground.
• From November 2023 through February 2024, FAA and the U.S. DOT Volpe Center, in coordination with the Office of the Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy, convened transportation innovators and leaders for Up, Up, and Away: Innovations in Advanced Air Mobility, a critical dialogue on considerations for ushering in a new era in aviation.
• In 2023, we hosted Delivering the Benefits of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) sponsored by the USDOT Project Delivery Center of Excellence, an eight-part virtual series featuring more than 20 thought leader speakers from across the transportation enterprise, including the U.S. Transportation Secretary.
• Our 2021 thought leadership speaker series, Innovation for a Sustainable, Equitable Transportation System, took place virtually from June through September 2021 and facilitated an important dialogue on the future of the transportation system.
• The occasional series, Straight from the Source, features distinguished national and international guest lecturers on a variety of transportation topics. See highlights from our most recent Straight from the Source event from 2021, The Imperative and Opportunity to Invest in Resilient Infrastructure.
• In 2019, Our New Mobility Future, convened leading thinkers innovating in novel transportation modes to explore the promise and pitfalls of our new mobility future—and discussed how we're going to get there.
• Our 2018 speaker series, Transportation in the Age of Artificial Intelligence and Predictive Analytics, explored the age of artificial intelligence and predictive analytics in the context of the global transportation system.
• Our 2017 speaker series, The Ongoing Transformation of the Global Transportation System, brought together top thinkers to explored challenges and opportunities affecting the advancement of transportation.
• Our 2016 thought leadership speaker series, The Future of Transportation: Safety, Opportunity, and Innovation, brought together top transportation innovators who are thinking beyond the horizon on important transportation issues.
• In 2015, our series Reimagining Transportation explored technology, disruptive innovation, and the future of transportation.
• In 2014 and 2015, our Transportation and the Economy series examined current and emerging issues crucial to moving people and goods to remain competitive in the global economy.
• In 2013 and 2014, our Transportation System Resilience series explored escalating threats to the global transportation infrastructure.
• In 2012 and 2013, our colloquia series, Transportation Challenges and Opportunities, featured roundtable discussions on resilience, big data analytics, and transportation safety in the digital age.

Please note: The views of the speakers do not necessarily reflect those of U.S. DOT.