General goals
In a coordinating partnership with Hyperloop One and the University Transportation Centers, SWTWC will identify and disseminate best practices in innovative transportation research, business models, and training in order to promote further workforce development efforts; e.g. internships, apprenticeships, and partnerships between academia and industry stakeholders.
Duration
Status: Ongoing
Anticipated Partnership Duration: 2016 – Center lifetime
Timeline and Overview
In 2016, SWTWC Director Thomas O’Brien and Associate Director Tyler Reeb facilitated the partnership between Hyperloop One and UTCs.
SWTWC Director Thomas O’Brien and Associate Director Tyler Reeb made first contact with Hyperloop One during a site tour of their facilities in the Port of Long Beach on March 15, 2016. Following the tour, O’Brien and Reeb invited Hyperloop One to participate in SWTWC’s ITS Peer Exchange (listed cooperating partnership on page 9) to share industry perspective on transportation workforce development in April 2016.
Further building on the partnership, SWTWC also invited Hyperloop One to participate on a panel titled: “Creating the 21st Century Transportation Workforce” where O’Brien was the acting moderator. The panel was for a workforce summit SWTWC co-hosted titled Faster, Smarter, Cleaner, Greener: Developing the Transportation Workforce of the Future. The summit was held on April 29, 2016 at San Jose State, University, California, and focused on how the industry can prepare the future workforce to meet the demands of changing transportation technologies.
SWTWC further arranged a tour of Hyperloop One’s facilities on June 6, 2016 for 2016 Council of University Transportation Centers (CUTC) Summer Meeting attendees. The site tour represented new transit-oriented developments within Los Angeles and gave attendees a glimpse of current demands of the transportation workforce.
After the tour, O’Brien and Reeb brokered a coordinating partnership between Hyperloop One and UTC where Hyperloop One will engage UTCs for their transportation research needs. The two entities will honor their partnership as written in their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) included in Appendix B.
In a meeting with Hyperloop One on December 8, 2016, O’Brien formally broached the subject of developing internships at Hyperloop One for graduate students in the UTC programs. In 2017, the subject will be revisited for development and implementation.
Key Deliverables
- High-level discussion in SWTWC ITS Peer Exchange
- Participation and attendance of Hyperloop One representatives at Summit co-hosted by SWTWC
- Hyperloop One site tour at 2016 CUTC Summer Meeting
- MOU developed and signed by Hyperloop One and UTC
Anticipated Outcomes
The purpose of this coordinating partnership is to develop a body of extensive research that examines Hyperloop One’s technology as a future means of transportation. The research will include Hyperloop One’s leading innovative practices; including its intelligent transportation system, its implications on safety in transportation, business model, and workforce development.
This research will benefit Hyperloop One by identifying gaps in its business model, recruitment and training strategy, strategically streamline processes, and maintain its leading role in the transportation industry.
SWTWC and UTC will identify best practices, and assess the potential application and replication for freight and logistical operations, and other sectors of transportation.
In addition, SWTWC anticipates an internship program for Hyperloop One will be developed alongside the research.
Contribution Analysis
2016
- SWTWC Director Thomas O’Brien and SWTWC Associate Director Tyler Reeb participated in a site tour of Hyperloop One’s facilities.
- SWTWC invited Hyperloop One to participate in the Center’s ITS Peer Exchange.
- SWTWC cooperated with Hyperloop One to offer a tour of its facilities for 2016 CUTC attendees, forming a cooperative partnership with Hyperloop One.
- SWTWC brokered a coordinating partnership between Hyperloop One and UTC, resulting in a coordinating partnership with a MOU.