Podcasts

Podcast: Stay Safe; Stay Connected: Transportation During The COVID-19 Crisis

June 5, 2020 • 2 MIN READ
By Ed Bernardon

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It’s probably safe to say that one feeling we can all relate to as we navigate through this pandemic is one of uncertainty. In addition to thinking about our own individual lives, we’re also wondering what our governments are doing to adjust, and what changes they’re making to prepare for the future. Join Ed Bernardon, host of The Future Car Podcast as we navigate this “new normal” and how it is permanently restructuring our cities, and transportation is at the very center of those changes. We’re increasingly aware of our personal health and safety when we venture out into this brave new world, so what does that mean for how we get from A to B? 

In today’s episode, we’re talking about how critical transportation will prove to be in a more safety-centric world, and how that requires a multi-organizational approach to planning for the future. Everything is connected, and this pandemic has brought the relationship between transportation, safety and hygiene to the forefront.

Our guest today is Finch Fulton, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy. Before joining the DOT, Mr. Fulton worked on Capitol Hill under Jim McCreary (R-La), John Flemming (R-La), and former Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Al). He graduated with an MBA from Johns Hopkins University.

Discussion Outline:
• How do we use roads in a crisis? (2:06)
• Why transportation is critical to our supply chain and who the real heroes are (4:38)
• What are companies doing in response to the pandemic? (8:12)
• How the DOT gets involved to make it easier to deploy new technologies (11:44)
• How can we reach a level of hygiene on public transportation to make people feel safe? (12:49)
• How government mandates can delay progress. (14:54)
• How to best describe new technologies to regulators in the federal government. (17:22)
• Why it’s important to communicate across sectors when introducing new technology. (19:34)
• How is design taken into consideration for those with disabilities? (21:49)

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On the Move: A Siemens Automotive Podcast Podcast

On the Move: A Siemens Automotive Podcast

The automotive and transportation industries are in the middle of a transformation in how vehicles are designed, made, and sold. Driven by an influx of new technologies, consumer demands, environmental pressures, and a changing workforce in factories and offices, automotive companies are pushing to reinvent fundamental aspects of their businesses. This includes developing more advanced and capable vehicles, identifying new revenue sources, improving customer experiences, and changing the ways in which features and functionality are built into vehicles.

Welcome to On the Move, a podcast from Siemens Digital Industries Software that will dive into the acceleration of mobility innovation amid unprecedented change in the automotive and transportation industries. Join hosts Nand Kochhar, VP of Automotive and Transportation, and Conor Peick, Automotive and Transportation Writer, as they dive into the shifting automotive landscape with expert guests from Siemens and around the industry. Tune in to learn about modern automotive design and engineering challenges, how software and electronics have grown in use and importance, and where the industries might be heading in the future.

See more of the On the Move: A Siemens Automotive Podcast.

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Edward Bernardon

Ed has over 25 years experience as an entrepreneur and executive in industries related to software, design, and automated manufacturing in a variety of industries including automotive, aerospace, and apparel. Primary roles have been as a sales and business development executive in early stage startups that have grown to become global in scope. Ed is currently Vice President of Strategic Automotive Initiatives at Siemens Specialized Engineering Software. In this role, he is responsible for strategic planning, business development, and making initial sales of new products to market leading companies. The primary focus of these efforts has been in the areas of design and manufacture of lightweight automotive structures and transportation interiors. Prior to Siemens, he was the third principal member and Vice President of Sales for VISTAGY that, without any outside funding, developed industry leading software for design and manufacturing of light-weight composite parts. Initially the sole sales person, he expanded sales to a global organization with direct and channel partners in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Ed was a key member of the executive team during the global expansion of VISTAGY and the transaction of Siemens acquisition in 2011. Prior to VISTAGY, Ed directed the Automation and Design Technology Group at the MIT Draper Laboratory, developing manufacturing processes, robotics, and complementary design software for composites, automotive and textile applications. Projects included design of a composite car body, FRTM and preform pick/place for composites fabrication, as well as robotic equipment for the manufacture of men’s suits, blue jeans, sweatpants and other apparel. Ed holds an M.S. in mechanical engineering from MIT, a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Purdue University, and an MBA from Butler University. He also has numerous patents in the area of high volume automated composite manufacturing systems, robotics and laser technologies.

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This article first appeared on the Siemens Digital Industries Software blog at https://blogs.sw.siemens.com/podcasts/on-the-move/podcast-stay-safe-stay-connected-transportation-during-the-covid-19-crisis/