The 2024 International Transport Forum (ITF) Summit, held in Leipzig, Germany on 22-24 May, gathered global leaders and experts to discuss  how to green transport and keep focus in time of crises. A unique stage for the International Road Federation (IRF) to engage in high-level discussions, sign new and important partnerships and advance preparation for the IRF World Congress (15-18 October 2024).

 Greening Latin America and the Caribbean: Accelerating e-Mobility

The International Road Federation kicked off the ITF Summit by moderating an official side event organised by the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. The session focused on the role of e-mobility in achieving low-carbon development goals in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

Key speakers included Mr. William Camargo, Minister of Transport, Government of Colombia;  Marta Serrano Balbuena, Secretary General for Land Transport; Ms. Cristina Albuquerque from Global Electric Mobility, WRI; Mr. Reinaldo Fioravanti from Inter-American Development Bank; and Mr. Shomik Mehndiratta, Transport in Europe and Central Asia, World Bank.

See ITF Summit website for more info on this session: https://summit.itf-oecd.org/2024/programme/

Digital Infrastructure: Promoting Climate-Proof and Resilient Transport

Robust digital infrastructure is instrumental in supporting resilient physical infrastructure, supply chains, automated vehicles (AVs) and overall transport systems. Together, these components form a powerful ecosystem, enhancing infrastructure planning, maintenance, and response capabilities.

On day 2 of the ITS Summit, IRF Director General Susanna Zammataro joined the session “Digital Infrastructure Promoting Climate-Proof and Resilient Transport,” to discuss the role of digitalization with experts from Autocrypt, Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking, ETA Advisors, and the Transportation Research Board (TRB).

Key points shared by IRF:

• Digitalisation is a real game changer in the road infrastructure sector allowing gains in natural resources usage, emissions reductions, resilience. It helps us embrace the “network level thinking” and enhances prioritization of expenditure and interventions.

• Monitoring progress. Responsibility and solutions often get lost within a system that primarily assigns them to state actors, lacking transparent mechanisms for monitoring progress and harnessing action by multiple stakeholders. Digitalisation brings change in progress monitoring.

• Developing the institutional capacity. Data and new technologies are crucial, but they are not enough.  Developing the institutional capacity to plan and deliver change requires embracing innovation also at the level of systems, processes, and people. Fragmented jurisdictions, inadequate standards, lengthy bureaucratic procedures coupled with unskilled personnel hamper efficient and rapid implementation of new solutions.

Financing Green and Resilient Infrastructure: The Power of Digitalisation

On 23 May, the IRF co-organised a panel session with the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), Oris Materials Intelligence, and the International Union of Railways (UIC). This session explored “The Power of Digitalisation in Ensuring Financing of Green and Resilient Linear Transportation Infrastructure”. The discussion highlighted the role of AI and data science in revolutionising infrastructure financing by predicting environmental and economic impacts from project inception.

The session was opened by H.E. Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure of Türkiye, sharing the experience of his country which has made tremendous investments in transport infrastructure development over the recent years. The Minister extended to everyone an invitation to continue the conversation at the IRF World Congress to be hosted in Istanbul in October 2024. Francesc Carbonell, Head of the Transport Sector at UfM followed and provided an overview of priorities in the Mediterranean region. The panel discussion included high-level speakers from Oris, Alstom, Die Autobahn, the International Union of Railways (UIC)  and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). By sharing concrete case studies, the panelists delve deep into the complexities faced by public authorities and how digitalisation offers an innovative approach to meet the challenges they are currently facing. The conversation explored the delicate balance to be found between sustainable linear infrastructure financing and the need to keep budgets under control, to achieve a sustainable future for all.

The IRF signs strategic partnerships with the International Transport Forum (ITF) and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM)

The ITF Summit served as an opportunity to consolidate strategic alliances through the signing of institutional partnerships with the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the International Transport Forum (ITF). These alliances aim to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, promote best practices, and undertake joint initiatives globally, focusing on key areas such as road safety, decarbonisation, digitalisation, and innovation. The collaboration will result, among other things, in the realisation of capacity-building workshops, the organisation of conferences and events, and the development of joint projects. By leveraging their respective expertise in these critical areas, the IRF and its partners aspire to promote positive change in the global transportation landscape.

“Collaboration is at the heart of the IRF’s mission. Through strategic partnerships, the IRF is ready to lead transformative change in the road sector globally. By combining our expertise and resources with those of our partners, we can address the multifaceted challenges the sector faces and pave the way for a more sustainable and inclusive future for global transportation,” commented IRF Director General Susanna Zammataro at the signing of these new agreements.

• Read more about IRF’s MoU Signature with the UfM

• Read more about IRF’s Partnership signature with ITF