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Innovation in action session to feature at Strictly Highways
Delegates attending this year’s Strictly Highways 2021 virtual event will be able to watch a live session entitled ‘Innovation in action’ on day two.
The two day conference will take place on 06 and 07 October with the Strictly Networking event running from the 04 – 15 October 2021.
Delivering innovation at a national level is one of the biggest challenges facing the sector. Roads and assets currently managed by local authorities hold a wealth of valuable data. The health of these ‘assets’ can be driven into to allow for more efficient predictive maintenance strategies and to help direct future investment in the network.
But this must be done in partnership with the private sector. As an example, digitalisation can be used as a tool to delve into data. The information gained can then be used to help predict future network trends.
LCRIG aims to facilitate the development and implementation of innovation and technology within the highways sector.
This focused approach helps to assist the Department for Transport in giving assurance to Ministers that the sector is doing everything it can, with the funding available, to enable the ongoing development of innovation within the highways sector.
Having recently established an Infrastructure Innovation Board to seek out new products/materials that can be trialled on the highway network and to strengthen the link between suppliers and contractors, this panel session will provide an overview of some of the good work taking place across the sector and look at why innovation is so important when it comes to driving forward change.
With COP26 just around the corner, the discussion will also look at the wider environmental benefits that can be brought about by implementing new innovative products and services.
Panellists will discuss the following areas:
- Turning data into decisions that can drive change
- Removing barriers to innovation
- Making innovation business as usual
- Encouraging innovation within councils and businesses
- The benefits of innovation
Panellists include:
- Ian Large, Performance Manager for Blackpool Council and Chair of LCRIG’s Infrastructure Innovation Board
- Martin Duffy, Chief Executive of LCRIG
- Darren Capes, ITS Policy Lead, Traffic and Technology Division, Department for Transport
- Emily See, Senior Consultant ‑ Asset Management, Yotta
You can now register to attend this year’s event here.
This year’s Strictly Highways event will be delivered virtually and is set to feature all the elements that delegates and exhibitors are used to including a conference, networking and the DfT Special Recognition Awards.
Strictly Highways brings together the whole highways community, including councils, the Department for Transport (DfT), academia, industry associations, the supply chain and media. The event enables everyone to learn about new innovation and technology, share experiences, receive updates from the DfT and showcases the industry associations.
The conference will be delivered via a bespoke virtual platform and once registered, delegates will be provided with a login that can be used to access sessions.
Further information on the award application process will be published in the coming weeks.
In order to ensure that our exhibitors and sponsors receive maximum exposure and value, LCRIG will be organising pre-booked video calls with confirmed delegates of their choice. This means that Strictly Highways will run for two weeks (with the two day conference taking place during the two weeks). The reason for the extra eight days is to enable LCRIG to work on behalf of all our exhibitors and sponsors to facilitate the scheduling of video calls.
We are asking for confirmations from delegates that they are attending and also their permission to share their job title and organisation for the sponsors and exhibitors to select who they would like to visit their stand.
LCRIG will also be sending delegates the list of exhibitors and sponsors for them to be able to select which organisations they would like to visit virtually.
The overarching theme for this year’s Strictly Highways event will be focused on delivering practical solutions to help councils reach net zero.
The full conference agenda will be confirmed in the next two weeks.