FT. WORTH, TX — A new research initiative has been developed to help industry, municipalities, and public agencies meet real-world transportation challenges through innovative partnerships with universities across Dallas-Fort Worth.

The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) is partnering with the Texas Research Alliance and four area universities that have created the North Texas Center for Mobility Technologies.

The new center includes the University of North Texas, the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Texas at Dallas, and Southern Methodist University, and will establish a community-driven approach to supplying the region’s employers with the talent and research capacity needed to continue to be leaders in transportation technology innovation. It is intended to strengthen the universities’ capabilities in the transportation sector and to attract mobility technology companies to the region.

The North Texas Center for Mobility Technologies will provide a research and development network consisting of mobility companies, cities, and public agencies and use the network to attract industry and academic talent to Dallas-Fort Worth. In the process, the participating universities will be able to further develop transportation-related research capabilities.

The Regional Transportation Council (RTC) approved $2.5 million in seed money earlier this year to help fund sponsored research projects advanced by the center. The RTC has established selection criteria and a process through which NCTCOG identifies which research projects to support with the funding approved.

The center is expected to be open in January and could include autonomous vehicle projects as well as those that employ other advanced technologies to improve mobility and access for communities.