Scott Cary has more than 25 years of experience leading planning, finance, design, acquisition and construction teams for Port, Airport and United States Department of Defense infrastructure and facilities efforts, worldwide. For the United States National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Mr Cary aligns port and airport programs lab-wide, integrating the unique expertise of a Department of Energy National Laboratory with aviation and maritime needs. He has a specific focus currently championing the Sustainable Aviation initiative which is assisting industry in accelerating adoption of new technologies across an array of energy carriers including Sustainable aviation fuel, hydrogen, and electricity. Clients include multiple large hub airports, the FAA, NASA, and industry collaboration across the Advance Air Mobility spectrum. Mr Cary is the principal investigator for Analysis for the FAA and NASA exploring infrastructure deployment needs for both electric and hydrogen based propulsion systems.

Scott has been with NREL since 2019 is a licensed professional engineer and LEED accredited professional.

Panel 2: What is best for short and medium range transportation?

Wednesday, January 15th
15:00 – 16:30 | HG F 30 | Audi Max

Moderator: Piero Colonna (TU Delft)

Panelists: Florian Allroggen (MIT), Scott Cary (NREL), Naoki Seki (IHI), Vince Sidwell (Pratt &Whitney), Fabian Donus (MTU)

Abstract:

The civil aviation segment focused on short- and medium-range missions (500–1000 km) is expected to grow very rapidly in many regions of the world, reaching unprecedented levels. While high-speed rail offers clear advantages in terms of reducing global warming emissions, the significant costs and extended timelines required for infrastructure development and commissioning present substantial challenges. Adding to the complexity are economic factors, as well as local and global political dynamics, which further complicate decision-making.

This panel session does not aim to discuss all aspects of this multifaceted issue but seeks to provide critical insights through expert perspectives and illustrative examples. Panelists will explore the trade-offs, challenges, and opportunities, helping to shed some light on what might be the most sustainable and practical solutions, depending on boundary conditions.