iRAP was proud to host our 10th iRAP Innovation Workshop in Prague last week in association with the XXVIIth World Road Congress from 2-6 October organised by PIARC World Road Association.
What a busy week it was! From the 2-day Innovation Workshop, to presentations in stimulating Congress Foresight Sessions, the inaugural presentation of the iRAP Gary Liddle Memorial Trophy, the iRAP Innovation Dinner, and bilateral meetings with key partners and delegations from Senegal, Saudi Arabia and Lithuania – it was a pleasure to see old and new faces and share the amazing work of our partners and program across the world.
The Innovation Workshop brought together 200 leaders and experts from 68 countries. The World Roads Congress included more than 60 Technical Sessions, Workshops and Foresight Sessions, and networking opportunities with 40+ Ministers, 3,500+ delegates and 300 exhibitors from 120 countries.
The iRAP Innovation Workshop
The 2023 Innovation Workshop was a 2-day event within the congress on 5 and 6 October focused on the theme “Safer Roads for People and Planet”.
Road safety is critical to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Road crashes remain the biggest killer of young people worldwide and transport produces around 25% of man-made carbon emissions. Innovative policies, tools and action are needed to meet international and national road safety and sustainable transport targets through solutions that deliver for both people and the planet. Promoting active mobility is central to decarbonizing urban mobility. But as more people move to sustainable modes such as walking and cycling, exposure to conflicts with large, high-speed vehicles increase. It is therefore essential the safety of all road users is at the heart of transport planning and policy. Policy experts are embracing Safe System principles in support of Vision Zero goals and the potential for 5-star users in 5-star modes of transport on 5-star roads at safe speeds to provide the framework for that to occur.
Presentations and panel discussions explored cutting edge innovation and practical experience in road agency leadership, data, investment planning and finance that can be used to implement change and deliver on the Plan Mundial para el Decenio de Acción para la Seguridad Vial 2021-2030 y el Paris Agreement.
Presentations
Day 1 – Thursday 5 October
Session 1 – Opening: Where Are We Now?
Session Moderator: Mónica Olyslagers Global Innovation Manager and Cities Specialist, iRAP
- Lives saved together: The ultimate metric and where to next Rob McInerney CEO, iRAP
- Welcome address Jean Todt United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety
Where are we … worldwide
- The latest on PIARC Innovation Patrick Mallejacq Secretary General, PIARC
- Partnerships to deliver: IRF World Road Statistics and Private Sector Coalitions Susanna Zammataro Director General, International Road Federation Geneva
Where are we … at a country level
- iRAP Safety Insights Explorer: Empowering countries with data informed by the world’s largest road infrastructure safety database Greg Smith Global Programme Director, iRAP
Where are we … at a city level
- What’s old is new again in designing global cities Paul Supawanich Director of Programs, Global Designing Cities Initiative
Presentation of the Gary Liddle Memorial Trophy (see below) – iRAP Board Chairman Miquel Nadal, Mrs Meredith Liddle and Rob McInerney
Session 2 – What are we planning and building for the future?
Session Moderator: Veronika Valentova Director of Research and Development, Transport Research Centre (Centrum Dopravniho Vyzkumu)
- Celebrating success: Case studies from the world Judy Williams Global Programme and Communications Manager, iRAP
- Delivering safer roads in support of Target 3 for 3-star and better roads Bosco Marti Global Director of Institutional Affairs and Communications, Aleatica
- MCC and iRAP partnership in MCC compact countries and opportunities to spur private sector participation Yohannes Abebe Global Practice Leader and Senior Director for the Transport and Vertical Structure Group, Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)
- Harnessing the power of traffic simulation and data for safer urban road networks: The PHOEBE project Martin Hartmann Solution Design Manager, Aimsun
- Star Rating targets and Australia’s multi-billion dollar Safer Roads Fund Geoff Allan Chief Executive Officer, Austroads
- Practical applications of YEA, CycleRAP, Active Travel Tool and Route Review Tool in European cities and the ELABORATOR project Mónica Olyslagers Global Innovation Manager and Cities Specialist, iRAP
- Star Rating for Designs: Safe right from the start James Bradford Global Technical Director, iRAP
- Reflections on day’s discussion: Preparing for 2030: Where are we at and where’s the potential Samar Abouraad Safer Journeys Specialist for Europe, iRAP
Day 2 – Friday 6 October
Session 3 – Innovative results-based financing and reporting
Session Moderator: Steve Phillips Secretary General, Conference of European Directors of Roads (CEDR)
- Using Star Ratings to shape road agency strategy and investment in the UK Mike Wilson Chief Highways Engineer, National Highways – UK
- Safer infrastructure for all road users in the Danube: Learnings from the SABRINA and RADAR projects Samar Abouraad Safer Journeys Specialist for Europe, iRAP
- Innovative road safety policy, financing and performance monitoring in Europe Marko Sevrovic Associate Professor, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences (FPZ), University of Zagreb and Senior Road Safety Engineer, European Institute of Road Assessment (EIRA)
- Sustainability linked financing and impact investment to save lives Rob McInerney Chief Executive Officer, iRAP
- Sharing 55,000km of assessment results to empower decision-makers in Brazil Julio Urzúa Global Projects Director, iRAP
- Vision Zero infrastructure assessment and 5-star roads Ana Tomaz Vice President, Portugal National Authority for Road Safety (Autoridade Nacional de Seguranca Rodoviaria)
- The power of interactive reporting Greg Smith Global Programme Director, iRAP
Session 4 – Scaling for People and Planet
Session Moderator: Nneka Henry Head, United Nations Road Safety Fund
- Innovation and best practice in Safe System performance Stephen Perkins Senior Counsellor, International Transport Forum (ITF)
- Innovation to drive sustainable mode choice in cities Pedro Homem de Gouveia, Senior Policy and Project Manager, Governance and Integration, Safety and Security, POLIS
- Building a network of innovators in urban mobility in Europe Lluis Puerto Director of Market Development, EIT Urban Mobility
- Outcome-led design for Target 3: Case studies from the UK and Australia Chris Furneaux Director, Arup
- Optimising the safety and sustainability of global road designs and construction: The iRAP-ORIS partnership Hugo Pley-Leclercq Project Manager, ORIS
AiRAP Panel Discussion: Harnessing data and partnerships to map the safety of every road on Earth in support of Target 4
- Scene setting and panel moderator Mónica Olyslagers Global Innovation Manager and Cities Specialist, iRAP
- Anditi and AiRAP Peter Jamieson Managing Director, Anditi
- Agilysis and AiRAP Richard Owen CEO, Agilysis
- Panel discussion:
John Milton Chair of the PIARC Road Safety Committee and State Safety Engineer, Washington State Department of Transport; Marc Figuls Managing Partner, Factual Consulting; and all
Closing address: Unlocking the power of youth and the road to Morocco Saul Billingsley Executive Director, FIA Foundation
Altavoces
Jean Todt
UN Special Envoy for Road Safety
Steve Phillips
Secretary General, Conference of European Directors of Roads (CEDR)
Marc Figuls
Managing
Partner,
Factual Consulting
Peter Jamieson
Managing
Director,
Anditi
Rob McInerney
Chief Executive
Officer,
iRAP
Veronika Valentova
Director of Research
and Development
Transport Research Centre
(Centrum Dopravniho Vyzkumu)
Czechia
Lluis Puerto
Director of Market Development
EIT Urban Mobility
James Bradford
Global Technical Director, iRAP
Susanna Zammataro
Director General, IRF Geneva
Geoff Allan
Chief
Executive
Officer,
Austroads
Nneka Henry
Head
United Nations
Road Safety Fund
Patrick Mallejacq
Secretary General,
PIARC (Word Road Congress)
Martin Hartmann
Solution Design Manager
Aimsun
Johannes Abebe
Global Practice Leader and Senior Director – Transport and Vertical Structure Group
Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)
Stephen Perkins
Senior Counsellor
International Transport Forum (ITF)
Greg Smith
Global Programme Director, iRAP
Hugo Pley-Leclercq
Project Manager,
ORIS
Mónica Olyslagers
iRAP Global Innovation Manager and Safe Cities Specialist
Richard Owen
Chief Executive
Officer,
Agilysis
Samar Abouraad
Safer Journeys Specialist for Europe, iRAP
Judy Williams
Global Programme and Communications Manager, iRAP
John Milton
Chair of the PIARC Road Safety Committee and State Safety Engineer, Washington State Department of Transport
Saul Billingsley
Executive Director
Fundación FIA
Chris Furneaux
Associate Director, Arup
Mike Wilson
Chief Highways Engineer
National Highways UK
Paul Supawanich
Director of Programs, Global Designing Cities Initiative
Bosco Marti
Global Director Institutional Affairs & Comms, Aleatica
Pedro Homem de Gouveia
Snr Policy & Project
Manager, POLIS
Ana Tomaz
Vice President
Autoridade Nacional
de Seguranca Rodoviaria
(National Authority
for Road Safety)
Portugal
Marko Sevrovic
Associate Professor, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences (FPZ), University of Zagreb
and Senior Road Safety Engineer, European Institute of Road Assessment (EIRA)
Watch the Innovation workshop playlist here
The iRAP Gary Liddle Memorial Trophy
The 2023 Gary Liddle Memorial Trophy was presented for the first time during the Innovation Workshop to:
- Winner – Brazil’s National Department of Transport Infrastructure (DNIT)
- Finalist – Australia’s Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR)
- Finalist – Thailand’s Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)
- Finalist – Croatian Roads Ltd
The trophy recognises the lifelong public-sector and transport contribution of the charity’s former Board Chairman Gary Liddle AO who passed away earlier this year. His wife Meredith Liddle from Melbourne, Australia attended the event to present the trophies.
Read about the Trophy and see more photos
Group photo at above right: Miquel Nadal, iRAP Board Chairman; Torill Pape, Director (Structures Design, Review and Standards), TMR; A/Prof Marko Sevrovic, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences (FPZ), University of Zagreb and Senior Road Safety Engineer, European Institute of Road Assessment (EIRA); Prof Kasem Choocharukul, ThaiRAP Lead; Julio Urzua, iRAP Strategic Projects Director; and Mrs Meredith Liddle (Images credit: Lenka Sfugaras)
iRAP Innovation Dinner
The iRAP Innovation Dinner brought together 65 partners at Bastion Prague to celebrate success and renew friendships after a long period of COVID separation.
Dinner images credit: Radim Palus
Other World Roads Congress participation
The iRAP Team participated in Foresight Sessions, Workshops and bilateral meetings during the World Roads Congress including:
- Foresight Session 2: Harnessing Ai and Big Data for safer optimised road mobility
- Workshop 2: Zero means a lot: do urban mobility organisations have what it takes?
- Foresight Session 5: Safe designs and speeds for active mobility
- Foresight Session 8: Mobilising investments and partnerships to deliver impact in road safety
On Wednesday, during Foresight Session 8, Fundacion Aleatica signed a Partnership Agreement with iRAP committing donor support to help make roads safer in Mexico and the world. To read more, haz clic aquí.
iRAP CEO Rob McInerney and Bosco MARTI, Global Director of Institutional Affairs and Communications, Fundacion Aleatica sign agreement (Images credit: Lenka Sfugaras)
The iRAP team met with Eng Bader, Vice Minister at the Ministry of Transport and Saudi Arabian partners to discuss launch plans for KSARAP (Image credit: Ministry of Transport, KSA)
The iRAP team and IRF met with the Senegalese delegation to discuss the Ten Step Approach for Safer Road Infrastructure Project for Senegal (Image credit: iRAP)
The iRAP team met with the Lithuanian delegation to discuss partner progress implementing iRAP in the country and potential further developments moving forward (Image credit: iRAP)
iRAP CEO Rob McInerney and iRAP Strategic Projects Director Julio Urzua met with Johannes Abebe, Global Practice Leader and Senior Director for the Transport and Vertical Structure Group, Millennium Challenge Corporation to discuss the iRAP-MCC Partnership 2022-2026 (Image credit: iRAP)
Hear from Judy, Marko and Greg on their reflections from Prague:
Our thanks to PIARC for supporting this year’s iRAP Innovation Workshop and to all partners and suppliers who made it such a successful and memorable event.