Ecopals Awarded the IRF Start-Up Label 2025 at the IRF Annual Conference
Ecopals, a German innovator in sustainable road construction materials, has been awarded the IRF Start-Up Label 2025, announced yesterday, 4 December, during the closing plenary of the IRF Annual Conference.
The recognition highlights Ecopals’ contribution to a more resource-efficient and environmentally responsible future for road infrastructure.
Born out of a university project and strengthened through scientific collaboration with institutions such as the Fraunhofer ICT and the University of Kassel, Ecopals has rapidly emerged as a leading voice in circular, climate-conscious road construction. The company transforms non-recyclable plastic waste into EcoFlakes, an asphalt additive that replaces virgin plastics and a portion of crude oil-based bitumen.
This approach not only upcycles waste but meaningfully reduces the carbon footprint of road construction by up to 30% while enhancing road durability.
EcoFlakes improve the performance of asphalt through greater resistance to rutting, extended service life, and reduced bitumen emissions, offering a compelling alternative for road authorities and contractors seeking sustainable materials without compromising quality or safety. Ecopals’ work with the Fraunhofer Institute ensures that the product meets the rigorous technical and legal standards required for road construction in Europe.
The IRF Start-Up Label, now in its 5th edition, reflects the International Road Federation’s commitment to advancing innovation across the global road sector. This year’s call for applications drew submissions from five continents, centred particularly on sustainability, efficiency and road safety.
The finalists from this year include Abley SafeCurves, Blue Eye Highway, Bitchem Asphalt Technologies Ltd., DataMobilize and Ernkate Limited.
Ecopals’ selection as an IRF Start-Up Label recipient reinforces the importance of sustainable materials in shaping the future of road construction and underscores how innovation can transform global challenges like plastic waste into practical, high-value infrastructure solutions.
George Yannis Awarded IRF Personality of the Year 2025 at IRF Annual Conference
The International Road Federation (IRF) has honoured Professor George Yannis with the IRF Personality of the Year Award 2025, recognising his exceptional leadership, scientific contribution and global impact in advancing road safety and sustainable mobility.
The award was presented on 2 December during the IRF Annual Conference, continuing a distinguished tradition that dates back to 1951 of celebrating individuals whose work has helped shape safer, more inclusive and more sustainable transport systems worldwide.
Professor Yannis, a leading figure in Traffic and Safety Engineering, serves as Professor and Director of the Traffic Engineering Laboratory at the School of Civil Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). His expertise centres on road safety, data science and intelligent mobility systems.
As the head of the NTUA Road Safety Observatory, he oversees a globally recognised centre of excellence known for its data-driven insights, innovative research and contributions to improving mobility safety in Greece, across Europe and internationally.
Over his more than 30-year career, Professor Yannis has made an extraordinary contribution to the transport sector. He has participated in more than 345 research and engineering projects and studies, while actively supporting critical policy and scientific initiatives through his involvement in numerous committees of the European Commission and international organisations, including the IRF, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Health Organisation - WHO, the World Bank, the European Investment Bank (EIB), the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), the European Road Federation (ERF), World Road Association - PIARC, the Union Internationale des Transports Publics (UITP), European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), European Conference of Transport Research Institutes (ECTRI), the World Conference on Transport Research (WCTR) and the Transport Research Board (TRB).
His academic influence is reflected in a remarkable publication record of over 1,000 scientific works, including 285 peer-reviewed journal papers, widely cited around the world.
Beyond academia and institutional leadership, Professor Yannis has also demonstrated an inspiring personal commitment to safer cities. In November 2024, he completed an extraordinary challenge: running 30 marathons in 30 months to promote the adoption of city-wide 30 km/h speed limits.
This initiative has amplified awareness of low-speed urban environments as a cornerstone for safer, greener and more liveable communities worldwide.
By awarding Professor Yannis the Personality of the Year 2025, the IRF celebrates not only a distinguished professional career, but a lifelong dedication to making mobility safer for all—through science, advocacy and personal action.
