USDOT SMART Grants Director Stan Caldwell will also join the conference focused on moving emerging transportation technologies from pilot projects to scale
Michael Halem, principal deputy assistant secretary for research and technology at the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), will deliver a keynote address at Chattanooga Connect 2026, joining transportation, technology, government, research and industry leaders in Chattanooga Sept. 14-16.
Stan Caldwell, director of USDOT’s Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program, will also participate in the conference, including a panel focused on moving SMART-funded initiatives from demonstration projects to sustainable operations.
Hosted by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Research Institute (UTCRI), Chattanooga Connect 2026 will explore what it takes to move emerging technologies from promising pilots to broader, real-world deployment. This year’s conference will bring together leaders from government, industry, higher education and entrepreneurship for conversations spanning connected and automated transportation, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, digital infrastructure, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) and other technologies shaping the future of mobility.
Chattanooga Connect begins Monday, Sept. 14, with a welcome reception, followed by a full day of conference programming Tuesday. The conference concludes Wednesday, Sept. 16, with hands-on experiences and demonstrations of cutting-edge technologies. These will include UTCRI’s autonomous vehicle, V2X and intersection safety technologies, as well as technologies supported through the USDOT-funded SMART project. Workshops will also be hosted by Commsignia, Miovision, ITS America, DENSO and UTC.
“Chattanooga has a long history of being willing to test new ideas, but a successful pilot is only the beginning,” said Dr. Mina Sartipi, UTC interim vice chancellor for research. “Having USDOT officials here gives us an opportunity to connect the work happening in Chattanooga with the national conversation about what it takes to move innovation from demonstration to deployment.”
Halem will deliver a featured keynote address during the conference’s main program on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at the Chattanooga Convention Center. His remarks will offer a broader USDOT perspective on emerging transportation technologies, the direction of the field and the opportunities and challenges involved in bringing promising technologies to scale.
Caldwell will join representatives from the City of Chattanooga, Nashville DOT and Tennessee DOT, three of Tennessee’s SMART-funded projects, along with Ouster, an industry partner on all three projects. Moderated by Sartipi, the panel will examine the statewide impact of SMART investments and what it takes to move projects from demonstrations to sustainable operations.
For Chattanooga, the discussion builds on work already underway. The city received a $2 million Stage 1 SMART grant in 2024 to plan and prototype connected roadway technologies aimed at improving safety and mobility. UTC, the City of Chattanooga and other partners are using this project to test connected vehicle technologies, including applications focused on pedestrian safety and transit operations.
Halem brings a career spanning science, engineering, transportation, aerospace, artificial intelligence and finance. Before joining USDOT, his work included launch support at Cape Canaveral, hardware and software engineering, and financial systems. Caldwell previously served as executive director of Carnegie Mellon University’s Traffic21 Institute and affiliated University Transportation Centers, where his work focused on emerging transportation technologies and intelligent transportation systems.
EPB is Chattanooga Connect 2026’s premier sponsor. Gold sponsors are IonQ and LG CNS. Bronze sponsors include the City of Chattanooga, Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, DENSO, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development and CO.LAB.
Registration is now open. The Chattanooga Connect 2026 agenda, registration information and sponsorship opportunities are available on the conference website (go.utc.edu/cc). For additional information, email [email protected].
# # # # # #
About the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Research Institute: The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Research Institute (UTCRI) advances interdisciplinary research, innovation and workforce development by bringing together researchers, faculty, students, industry, government and community partners to address complex challenges that cannot be solved through a single discipline alone. The institute fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration, develops strategic research partnerships and expands UTC’s research infrastructure to translate discovery into real-world solutions.
UTCRI’s research enterprise includes the Center for Urban Informatics and Progress, the Quantum Center and the Nanoengineering Center, with additional focus areas in applied computational science and engineering, sustainable and smart energy systems, mobility and transportation, and emerging technologies. Together, these initiatives strengthen UTC’s role as a leading metropolitan research university while preparing the workforce of tomorrow and advancing innovation that benefits Chattanooga, Tennessee, and beyond.
