# Federal CIOs Pursue Digital Modernization

Outgoing Department of Transportation Chief Digital and Information Officer Pavan Pidugu urged federal CIOs to transform the workforce, improve citizen-facing digital services, modernize legacy systems, and implement AI with measurable outcomes. His priorities signal potential demand for contractor support in AI integration, data governance, legacy-system remediation, cybersecurity, and post-quantum readiness, but the signal identifies no specific solicitation, award, contract value, or procurement contact.

- Contractors may find opportunities supporting agencies’ digital modernization priorities, particularly where AI implementation can be tied to measurable results and improved public-facing services.
- Companies offering data governance, legacy-system remediation, cybersecurity, or post-quantum readiness capabilities can align offerings with the needs identified in the signal.
- Because no procurement vehicle or acquisition timeline is specified, businesses should treat these priorities as market signals rather than an active solicitation.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Information Technology
**Topics:** Artificial Intelligence, Digital Infrastructure
**Published:** October 16, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)

### Sources
- [Pavan Pidugu’s Parting Advice to Federal CIOs: Have the Courage to Change – MeriTalk](https://www.meritalk.com/articles/pavan-pidugus-parting-advice-to-federal-cios-have-the-courage-to-change) - MeriTalk