Slide Strategic Sessions

3.1 | Enabling better infrastructures, supporting the digital and energy transition

As transport networks are seeing growing use, the networks are requiring extensive renovation and upgrade for aging assets. In addition, transitions, for example around climate change, are demanding changing functionality of those networks. As a result, the dynamics in transport networks development are kicking in a higher gear. With the rising need to optimize differently between transport modes, the developing importance of electricity as a power source for transport, and the emergent role of data capture, transfer, and storage as a basis for data driven optimizations for transport and asset management, the links and dependencies between infrastructure networks are now center stage. The networked world is rapidly becoming one of interdependent dynamic complexity.

 

For decades, the trends of use and hence development of infrastructures were clear. The development direction was mostly of a within network-oriented extension and optimization following and driving demand. However, with the trends described above, that approach will produce massive inefficiencies when decision-making is staying siloed. As dependencies and dynamics grow, silos are highly institutionalized, for example in market regulation.

 

How to deal with this is currently highly challenging. Obviously, the focus of each sector has been on its own strategic and operational development. However, there is a clear need of an additional layer of thinking and decision-making crossing sectoral dependencies. The workshop wants to start the thinking in this by looking at each sector and its key dependencies with other network sectors you experience.

SESSION ORGANISERS: 

 

  • Chairs: Miguel Jose Segarra Martinez, Dragados, ECTP and Wijnand Veeneman, NGinfra, RWS

 

 

SPEAKERS: 

 

  • Ingrid Dahl Hovland, Director General, Norwegian Road Administration
  • Torsten Klimke, Head of Unit, Innovation and Research, European Commission, DG MOVE
  • José Viegas, Professor emeritus, University of Lisboa
  • Henk Samson, Strukton Rail
  • Rita Moura, Director of Innovation, Teixeira Duarte
  • Antonio Duran, Global Innovation Head, Abertis

 

 

MODERATOR:

 

  • Lila Tachtsi, Asset Management Director, Highways UK

 

 

RAPPORTEUR:

 

  • Iñaki Beltrán, Tecnalia