This week I’ve been attending Highways UK, hobbling a bit after last week’s enforced rest, but trying hard to keep my damaged knee moving. But less of that – this year, we at LCRIG, along with ADEPT, TTF, DfT/UKRLG, have sponsored the Local Authority Hub. This partnership with Highways UK is a great opportunity, giving our organisations a base to meet people at the conference.
Over the two days, I’ve met many people, talking with potential new members, and had conversations with start-ups, suppliers, and government colleagues from across DfT. On the first day, I was part of a lively panel titled “Driving Productivity – Innovating to Do More with Less.” Our moderator was Paul Campion, CEO of TRL, and my fellow panel members were Sarah Sharples, Chief Scientific Advisor at DfT, Wolfgang Schuster, Executive Director at Connected Places Catapult, and Elliot Shaw, Chief Customer and Strategy Officer at National Highways. The conversation ranged from stagnant productivity levels and innovation adoption to long term funding stability and the complex issues that restrict both productivity and innovation. We didn’t always agree, which made for an engaging discussion.
The fact that panel members had differing views was well-received by many in the audience. Several people approached me afterwards or commented at the Local Authority Hub that they appreciated seeing the differences of opinion. Sarah Sharples and I have shared quite a few panels this year, including at the ITS World Congress, and it’s been great to gain an insight into her world and perspective. Many of our conversations will undoubtedly influence the work we do around sector insights in 2025.
After the panel, Lilian Greenwood, Minister for the Future of Roads, gave Sarah and I a lovely thumbs up as we returned to our seats. I must confess, this was rather lovely, especially as I had been a bit concerned about not always agreeing with my fellow panelists.
Whilst the Minister’s speech was light on future funding details, I believe she gave plenty of hints about her views, and it was clear that the call for long-term funding has been heard. To be fair, when Lilian Greenwood, MP, was the Chair of the Select Committee, she and the committee made several recommendations, including long-term funding certainty, which has led to new road condition standards, now resulting in PAS2161. I had the honour of participating in this committee as an expert witness, I greatly respect the leadership she and other committee members provided.
Though the Minister was on a tight schedule, she made time for a brief visit to the Local Authority Hub, where she spoke with Hannah Bartram from ADEPT, Ann Carruthers, ADEPT President, and myself. Despite the short visit, we discussed skills shortages and the work our organisations are doing to help tackle this issue – ADEPT through its focus on Gen Z, and our partnership with Primary Engineer to engage young children.
On day two of the conference, the themes of sustainability, innovation, and research will take center stage for me. Firstly, I am helping to open the sustainability theatre with LCRIG member Galliford Try. Glennan Blackmore, MD, and I are discussing the complex landscape of delivering sustainability, which is as challenging as it is important. Later in the day, I will be joining National Highways Research Alliance for a meeting with partners and participating in a Roads Research Alliance Panel on strengthening collaborations between industry and academia.
This final panel of the conference for me will include Arcadis, Ramboll, National Highways, and Cambridge University. Like the first panel, I expect this one to be equally engaging, with a range of diverse opinions. Dr. Jo White, a friend and member of LCRIG’s Innovation Board, and I have been meeting regularly this year to explore how both National Highways and LCRIG/councils can learn from innovative approaches. We’re both keen to identify methods that benefit our sector and share intelligence on emerging trends.
Finally, I want to say thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hello. I do love hearing people’s comments about my Vlogs! I also had the pleasure of meeting a former Loughborough University student who’s now working in the industry. It was great to meet her after being interviewed as part of her course.
Next week, I’ll be joining CECA at their event in Bristol called “Aging Assets.” I am looking forward to being part of a panel with CECA members and industry leaders to discuss the challenges and opportunities in managing aging infrastructure. I’m especially looking forward to the discussion around opportunities that arise even when the outlook may seem bleak. If you are attending, please come and say “Hi.”
Paula Claytonsmith
CEO