Engagement
CTS identifies core issues, brings stakeholders together, and helps put new knowledge to work. We foster a welcoming community that values equity and diversity in people and ideas. And while we serve Minnesota, we broaden our reach through comprehensive communications programs. Highlights from FY26 follow.
Project Showcase
Empowering Small Minnesota Communities extends partnerships to 13 communities, shares completed projects
In July 2025, CTS and its University of Minnesota partners selected 13 small communities to receive support through the Empowering Small Minnesota Communities (ESMC) program. ESMC harnesses University resources and project teams to help communities leverage federal, state, and local investments. Dozens of projects have been initiated or completed in the past year, and ESMC teams recorded and shared video presentations about several projects.
CTS convenes freight leaders for breakthrough session on cargo theft and fraud
In September 2025, CTS convened representatives from multiple leading companies alongside policymakers and academic partners for "Securing the Freight Supply Chain: Addressing Cargo Theft and Fraud." This workshop and public event shone an honest light on this rapidly growing issue that affects nearly every American company and jurisdiction. Overall, freight fraud accounts for billions of dollars in losses and jeopardizes the supply chain, affecting consumers. The event was one of several held as part of CTS’s “Unpacking Freight” focus in 2025.
Transportation networks, regional agriculture connections examined in SE Minnesota event
More than three dozen local and regional farmers, policymakers, business leaders, and researchers gathered in Red Wing, Minnesota, in November 2025 for "The Value of Regional Food Chains: Clusters, Opportunities, and Challenges." The event built on ongoing research on industry clusters and featured presentations, panels, and table discussions examining how transportation infrastructure and supply chain design impact local economic development and agricultural competitiveness. CTS supported the event, which was hosted by the Transportation Policy and Economic Competitiveness Program.
