The Assn. of Equipment Manufacturers released specifics today about a call for papers and research being solicited as part of its Infrastructure Vision 2050 thought-leadership initiative.

Specifically, AEM seeks research offering innovative ideas and best practices for how to address the many challenges facing the U.S. agriculture sector and agriculture productivity levels in the context of current and future U.S. infrastructure trends. The call for papers asks for a focus on one of two specific areas: 1) the movement of agriculture products from farm to market or 2) the movement of equipment from farm to farm.

"How we plan to transport agriculture products from farm to market or equipment from one farm to another in the future, relying on our current infrastructure, are crucial questions that AEM wants to help answer," said AEM President Dennis Slater. "This call for papers provides us with a platform to help shape the future of U.S. infrastructure for both the agriculture community and rural America."

Participants in the call for papers may be asked to present at 2017 AEM-sponsored events taking place at the National Farm Machinery Show and Commodity Classic.

“AEM’s recent partnerships with universities such as Northwestern and Cornell to study trends in mobility infrastructure and utility infrastructure have been very successful,” continued Slater. “We are now focused on expanding that partnership to include agriculture colleges, universities and non-profits to ensure the agriculture sector’s viewpoints on future infrastructure needs are considered.”

The call for papers is part of AEM’s broader Infrastructure Vision 2050 initiative, which seeks to elevate the national discussion about the future of infrastructure and ensure that equipment manufacturers are positioned to help the country build its next wave of infrastructure.

The deadline for the first round of abstracts is Dec. 1, 2016. Additional information, including complete guidelines and instructions on how to submit can be found at www.aem.org.