The ASPIRE Research Center is excited to announce the City of Spartanburg as the newest Industry and Innovation (IIB) Member!
The ASPIRE Research Center is proud to announce The City of Spartanburg as the newest member of its Industry and Innovation Board (IIB). This partnership expands ASPIRE’s collaboration with municipalities and supports a shared commitment of advancing resilient transportation and infrastructure solutions.
“The City is excited to partner with ASPIRE to continue growing our connections with other organizations looking to advance resilience and innovation,” said Jena Kipp, Data and Innovation Officer for the City of Spartanburg. “We thrive on collaboration and continue to seek knowledge from those who we can learn from. Working with ASPIRE we hope to expand our reach to new partners in industry, research, and government to continue advancing our opportunities for resilience.”
Bringing the City of Spartanburg onto the Industry and Innovation Board adds a valuable municipal perspective to ASPIRE’s work. The City’s active investment in resilience and mobility initiatives helps bridge the gap between research and real-world implementation in growing communities.
Laura Rogers, Managing Partner at Laurel Group LLC, emphasized the significance of this collaboration. “ASPIRE’s research ecosystem accelerates real-world solutions, and bringing Spartanburg into this network creates a direct line between cutting-edge electrification research and a city actively building the infrastructure to put it to work. Municipalities like Spartanburg are where innovation meets the road — and ASPIRE’s model of connecting researchers, industry, and communities is exactly the kind of partnership that helps growing cities punch above their weight in clean energy and resilience.“
“The City of Spartanburg to ASPIRE reflects the important role municipalities play in advancing resilient, future-ready transportation and energy systems,” said Don Linford, Director of Strategic Programs at ASPIRE. “Spartanburg’s commitment to innovation and collaboration strengthens a shared focus on improving quality of life and building infrastructure that can adapt to the evolving needs of communities.”
About ASPIRE
Advancing Sustainability through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification (ASPIRE) is a 4th generation National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Center (ERC) which conducts vital R&D to catalyze practical transitions to widespread electrification in transportation. ASPIRE initiatives enhance quality-of-life for all through improved air quality, economic opportunity, and access to clean, affordable transportation.
Over 400 global ASPIRE staff, faculty, and students work in sync towards the seamless integration of electrified transportation with interconnected intelligent systems infrastructure to provide an inexpensive, seamless charging experience. Multiple disciplines, including engineering, social science, policy, and business, contribute to the effort spanning 10 top-tier universities and 60+ industry, government, and non-profit organizations. They are joined by many community partners and advisors to provide a most comprehensive view of the electric transportation ecosystem and society. Visit aspire.aspire-computing.com/ for more insights on the future of transportation.
About the City of Spartanburg
The City of Spartanburg is growing our capacity for resilience by bringing new innovations to the Upstate of SC. Our goal is to position our growing city of ~38,000 residents as a model for other municipalities in the region and across the United States. Ongoing projects such as our microtransit system and our airport resilience hub are the first steps to preparing for the future of our community. Visit cityofspartanburg.org for more information.
Media Contacts:
Kat Webb
Content Director: Marketing & Communications
ASPIRE Research Center
O (435) 797.9159
