Nearly 300 international transportation industry executives attended yesterday’s GO-NV Summit to learn about technology advancements revolutionizing the transportation industry locally, nationally and internationally. The summit, with a special focus on connected and autonomous vehicles, was hosted by the Nevada Center for Advanced Mobility (CAM) and its partners, in collaboration with CES 2017.

The summit’s speakers focused on current actions making the emerging technology of advanced mobility a reality, including specific accomplishments and successful public/private partnerships.

According to the GM of the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC), Tina Quigley, Nevada, home to CES, the world’s foremost consumer electronic and technology tradeshow, was the ideal place for this summit that brought together transportation leaders from around the globe to discuss the future of the autonomous and connected technology.

“In Nevada, transportation leaders have long valued collaboration and believe the best solutions are derived from partnerships that can further advance transportation technology to alleviate congestion, increase safety standards and stimulate the economy,” said Quigley. “As a result, the state is leading the way to a more connected future by embracing and promoting advanced connectivity technology.”

Summit presentations provided attendees with a better understanding of what technology and transportation companies and their partners are doing to advance connected and autonomous vehicle technology, the best practices for building smart and connected communities, and what is still needed for connected and autonomous vehicles to truly become a viable mode of transportation for the general public.

The event’s opening keynote speaker, Jay Rogers, CEO of Local Motors, discussed how the company is applying innovative approaches, such as 3D printing, to advance vehicle safety, sustainability and intelligence. Dr. Mark Rosekind, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), discussed what the federal government is doing to encourage transportation technology, including recent policies, regulations and collaborations.

During the summit, Nevada CAM signed a cooperative Letter of Intent with the GENIVI Alliance, an open, collaborative development community of automakers and their suppliers driving the broad adoption of open source in-vehicle software and open technology for the connected car. The partnership is intended to bring advanced connected vehicle technology to Las Vegas to help increase awareness for pedestrian safety and improve traffic flow.

Attendees also heard from panelists who have pioneered the implementation of advanced transportation technology and are leading the charge to accelerate progress on a global scale, in the U.S. and in Nevada. Nick Earle, senior VP of global field operations for Hyperloop One, gave the closing keynote presentation. Hyperloop One is working in Nevada to radically transform the movement of passengers and freight using high-speed, pressurized capsules moving through reduced pressured tubes at the speed of a plane.