332. Can Airports Become Innovation Labs?

332. Can Airports Become Innovation Labs?

From SAE Tomorrow Today by SAE International

May 14, 2026 · 46 min · Season 1 · Episode 332

About this episode

The episode explores how Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport operates as an innovation lab to enhance passenger experience and operational resilience.

What if your airport was a living laboratory for innovation? Listen in as we sit down with Brian Cobb, Chief Innovation Officer at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG) Airport, to explore how CVG operates as a “city within a city,” deploying emerging technologies to improve passenger experience, strengthen operational resilience, and reimagine the modern airport. Discover how CVG is advancing innovation through real-time TSA wait times, robotics testing, and the growing role of AI, autonomy, and cybersecurity. Get even more insight as Brian takes the stage as keynote speaker at the 25th anniversary of AeroTech® this June. He’ll explore what’s next for aviation innovation, from connected robotics and autonomous workflows to the standards and cross-industry collaboration needed to make it all work safely. To learn more and register, visit sae.org/events/aerotech. We’d love to hear from you. Share your comments, questions and ideas for future topics and guests to podcast@sae.org. Don’t forget to take a moment to follow SAE Tomorrow Today—a podcast where we discuss emerging technology and trends in mobility with the leaders, innovators and strategists making it all…

People in this episode

Host: Grayson Brulte

Guest: Brian Cobb

Topics covered

  • airport innovation
  • emerging technologies
  • passenger experience
  • operational resilience
  • aviation
  • AI
  • cybersecurity

Keywords

  • innovation
  • airport
  • technology
  • AI
  • robotics
  • cybersecurity
  • TSA wait times
  • autonomy
  • AeroTech

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG) Airport, SAE International, SAE

More episodes of SAE Tomorrow Today

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the SAE Tomorrow Today podcast page.