Hillwood, Bell
Hillwood said Wednesday it has executed an agreement with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute to be AllianceTexas’ official Mobility Innovation Zone research partner.
The Transportation Institute will conduct research, manage strategic initiatives, and “serve as a think tank for new opportunities in mobility at AllianceTexas,” Hillwood said in a release. AllianceTexas’ Mobility Innovation Zone provides partner organizations the “scale, infrastructure and environment for the commercialization of emerging technologies in air and surface mobility.”
Hillwood has been studying new technologies, ranging from autonomous trucking to the potential for package delivery by unmanned aircraft.
“As budding surface and air mobility technologies take off, our research partnership with Hillwood at the AllianceTexas MIZ reinforces TTI’s ongoing commitment to testing and scaling innovations that impact the way we live,” Greg Winfree, agency director of the Transportation Institute said in the release.
“The location and capabilities that the MIZ offers provide an unparalleled sandbox for research and development of the technologies that will move business, goods and people forward.”
The Transportation Institute is the largest higher-education-affiliated transportation research agency in the United States, with expertise in engineering, planning, economics, policy, public engagement, landscape architecture, environmental sciences, data sciences, social sciences and more.
“Our partnership with TTI is a natural pairing for the next phase of research and development at the MIZ, and we cannot wait to see where our partnership will take us in changing the mobility landscape of the region and nation,” Ian Kinne, director of logistics innovation for Hillwood, said in the release.
“With unmatched expertise in its field, TTI ensures we have the research-backed results needed to not only set the standard for, but also make significant advancements in, budding mobility technology.”
Already taking advantage of the MIZ, technology pioneers such as Bell and TuSimple have established a presence at AllianceTexas. In February, Bell launched its Autonomous Pod Transport operations, becoming North Texas’ first point-to-point unmanned aircraft system package delivery demonstration. TuSimple’s Alliance-based facility offers autonomous trucking operations that run throughout the “Texas Triangle” freight corridor.
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