FRISCO, Texas — The University of North Texas gathered top academic, government and private sector leaders from around the region and nation last week to discuss how to effectively lead transformative logistics change.

The National Science Foundation Supply Chain Innovation and National Security Summit hosted at UNT at Frisco Sept. 26 offered a platform for 192 leaders to engage in broad conversations about national security, supply chain and logistics, cybersecurity, emerging technologies, workforce development and public-private collaboration.

It marked a significant step forward in the work of the Texoma Logistics Innovation Engine, a UNT-led network of organizations collaborating to advance the workforce and mobility systems in the Texoma region, which covers 26 counties and is bordered on the south by the Dallas-Fort Worth area and north by the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma.

The network launched in 2023 with support from a $1 million U.S. National Science Foundation grant as part of its Regional Innovation Engines program. It includes participation by UNT, Southern Methodist University, the University of Texas at Arlington, Texas Christian University, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Austin College and Dallas College along with dozens of other public and private organizations — many of which had representatives at the recent summit.  

“This summit is a pivotal moment for us, positioning Dallas-Fort Worth as a hub for logistics and supply chain innovation,” said Terry Pohlen, senior associate dean of UNT’s G. Brint Ryan College of Business, director of the Jim McNatt Institute for Logistics Research and principal investigator for the NSF Engines grant. “We are building a ‘Logistics Silicon Valley’ here in Texoma. Our mission is to connect innovators, investors and industries to create groundbreaking solutions for the supply chain sector.”

The Texoma region is the largest inland port and one of the most significant bottlenecks in our nation’s freight system. This demands the need for change in the logistics and supply chain sector for long-term resiliency and keeping the U.S. competitive on the global market, said Pohlen, who specializes in logistics and supply chain management.

During the summit, panelists touted the DFW area’s strengths including its growing population, business-friendly climate and central location within North America. Having several higher education institutions including UNT provides ample supply of skilled talent for the future workforce.

Being home to the United States’ third busiest airport — Dallas Fort Worth International Airport — as well as the world’s first 100 percent industrial airport — Fort Worth Alliance Airport — also offers unparallelled access to major markets. These and many other factors make the region a prime candidate for leading workforce and mobility innovation in the U.S. 

“The Texoma region is unique because a trillion dollars in goods moves through this region,” said Joda Thongnopnua, NSF special advisor for the technology, innovation and partnerships directorate. “You all have a specific competitive advantage that other places don’t have. You understand the sector really well, which is why we are investing in innovation ecosystems with similar competitive advantages and its why you all received a development award for your NSF Engines effort … Place plays a pretty powerful role in defining what’s possible.”

However, change doesn’t come without its challenges. Innovation requires a systematic plan that will only succeed with cooperation from all those involved.

“Together we know we have the power to effect change,” said Adam Fein, UNT vice president for digital strategy and innovation and chief digital officer, who served as emcee for the summit.

“With that power and partnership comes a sense that we must continuously challenge ourselves to do more, create more and share more. UNT believes in a multifaceted workforce, a strong regional economy and an ecosystem of innovation that provides access to social economic mobility. Our campuses in Denton and Frisco are situated in the heart of the Texoma region, and we are committed to collaborations across industry and government to foster the vast talent here.”

UNT’s guidance in the Texoma Logistics Innovation Engine, one of more than 40 unique teams awarded the NSF Engines Award, demonstrates the university’s pivotal role in creating supply chain and logistics opportunities. Faculty from UNT’s Ryan College of Business and College of Engineering, alongside regional partners, are driving logistics innovation and helping bring transformative technologies from lab to market.

Just last month, UNT at Frisco hosted the Texoma Logistics Innovation Engine Investor Forum in collaboration with the Center for Advancing Innovation and the Frisco Economic Development Corporation. The event featured 11 entrepreneurs pitching their cutting-edge solutions such as helping companies manage freight using blockchain technology and using Internet of Things to build a new software supply chain.

Coupled with last week’s summit, which offered an opportunity to get top leaders from the different sectors vital to logistics and security together for conversations about the future, Pohlen is hopeful the Texoma Logistics Innovation Engine has the momentum to bring transformative change.

“This has been a tremendous collaboration, and I see this summit as being a foundation for many other collaborative efforts,” Pohlen said. “These kinds of partnerships don’t happen very often; this has been a once in a lifetime experience.”