Mobile phone technology and oil/gas manufracturing technologies are examples of disruptive technologies, or technologies that completely change how the world ‘works’, including everything engineers plan for and design. In transportation, these technologies include cloud and fog computing, linear programming, autonomous and connected vehicles, magnetic levitation, and lithium-powered vehicles that extend range of an electric vehicle to over 500 km.  Disruptive technologies are already redirecting how engineers design, plan, build and manage the world’s assets.

The unprecedented pace of technology change, combined with static and even declining public resources to build and manage infrastructure, dictates that engineers not only fully understand  future trends, but dissect them and incorporate them into their planning today.

Carl Kuhnke is the Managing Director of the Saskatchewan Centre of Excellence for Transportation and Infrastructure (SCETI). He joined the University of Saskatchewan in November 2013, returning to his prairie roots after five years as Executive Director of the Intelligent Transportation Systems Association of Canada, the national advocate for the development and deployment of smarter transportation technologies, in Toronto. An Albertan, he spent 20 years as a Science and Technology diplomat in the Canadian Foreign Service, creating partnerships among universities, governments and the private sector, before leaving to work with technology firms in Canada to grow their businesses.

Among other assignments, he has been Consul General in Seattle, Canada’s Science and Technology Ambassador to Asia, and Director of the Science Council of British Columbia. He sits on a number of Boards, including the International Programs Committee of the ITS World Congress. He is an appointed tribunal member of the New West Partnership Trade Agreement, which includes Alberta, BC and Saskatchewan. Carl speaks English, German, French and Japanese.

FAQs

What are my transport/parking options getting to the event?

Your parking will be FREE during our event. When you arrive at the Park Town Hotel, you can skip the parking payment machine and go to the front desk to let them know that you are there to attend the CSCE Saskatoon Section Nooner.

Where can I contact the organizer with any questions?

You can email communications[{at}]cscesaskatoon.com with all your questions.

Is my registration/ticket transferrable?

Yes, it is. You can just give your ticket to a friend or colleague.

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

Yes, please bring a printed copy of your ticket to the event.