The LGTAG annual conference this year focused on: Collaborative Research- From Research to Reality and was held at Kassam Stadium, Oxford on 5th June 2024.
The Highways Sector is a vast array of many varied disciplines. It relies upon many new technologies and processes, from connected vehicles to gulley sensors and everything in between and progress in all aspects relies upon research to bring them into business as usual.
Collaborative research plays a pivotal role in the shaping the future of our highways. It is widely recognised that there is a need for innovation and knowledge exchange to address pressing challenges we all face whilst delivering ongoing commitments and obligations.
National Highways has outlined its approach in its “Innovation and Research Strategy”, but as we are all aware that accounts for 2% of the UK network. Local Roads make up the remaining 98% of the network and it is essential that we adopt a similar approach to ensure we act collaboratively to ensure we direct the research into the areas the sector needs. We should be supporting academia and utilising the resources that are available through them to really push the research into reality.
The conference brought together key decision makers, academia, organisations who have been successful in research projects becoming reality, representatives from the supply chain and thought leaders from the sector.
These influential speakers highlighted what works and identified some of the gaps we need to fill in terms of opportunities and awareness of how we can work more collaboratively and make a real difference in bringing the theory into practice.
The conference allowed connections to be made between organisations that can support each other in their endeavours to promote the correct research that can usefully be brought into reality.
Sean Rooney, Incoming President says “We as a sector face many challenges in the future, including the rapid advances in technology and what society expects from us in terms of level of service. Research provides us with the means to anticipate and adapt to some of these changes. Research allows us to make informed decisions now and in the future. Working collaboratively across the sector we can explore innovative solutions, test ideas and implement best practice and make best use of the resources available to address these challenges we all face.”