With the leadership and support of President Daniel M. Johnson, the University of Toledo (UT) initiated efforts to establish an Intermodal Transportation Institute (ITI). The purpose of the ITI is to work cooperatively with public and private sector partners in transportation, logistics, and supply chain management to increase economic opportunity and improve the quality of life. The ITI's purpose is strongly linked to the goals and objectives of UT, which embrace learning, discovery, and engagement and which focus heavily on outreach and external constituents. The ITI builds upon the unique features of the region, it offers the potential for sustained external funding, and it is a way to access and assemble resources from various disciplines at UT to address opportunities defined with the help of its public and private sector partners.