FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 3, 1999
Contact: Lynn Murray
Tel: (617) 494-2224
RSPA 13-99

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater today announced a national conference on the Spirit of Innovation in Transportation to explore ways of ensuring that the country’s transportation system will continue to benefit from creative science and new technology.

"Technological innovation is essential for shaping the transportation system for our needs in the 21st century or, as President Clinton said, this is not a time to rest but to build," Secretary Slater said. "Continuing the spirit of innovation will be important in building a transportation system in the new millennium for America that is international in reach, intermodal in form, intelligent in character and inclusive in service."

The conference, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Special Programs Administration, will take place on June 24-25 at the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, Mass.

Technology and transportation leaders from government, industry and academia will discuss integrated strategies to ensure continuing technological innovation in transportation.

"The purpose of this conference is to highlight innovation and achievements in transportation as a barometer of what we have accomplished and to better identify the opportunities that lie ahead," Research and Special Programs Administrator Kelley S. Coyner said.

The conference also will address issues critical to achieving innovation, such as ensuring a highly skilled workforce that is capable of meeting or exceeding our national transportation goals. The conference will highlight opportunities for translating projected advances in cybertechnology, material sciences and nanotechnology, and alternative fuels into new transportation-related products, processes, and services.

For registration information on the Internet, interested people should go to http://conference.volpe.dot.gov.

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Briefing Room