The IRF Annual Conference Concludes: Session Summaries Now Available
The IRF Annual Conference has officially concluded after three days of forward-looking discussions on how road systems must evolve to become more inclusive, safe, green and efficient.
We are pleased to announce that session summaries and full recordings from the IRF Annual Conference 2025 are now available.
The conference brought together leaders from government, international organisations, academia, industry and civil society, welcoming hundreds of participants from 84 countries across nine online sessions under the theme, “Reimagining Roads for Inclusive, Safe, Green and Efficient Mobility”.
Climate pressures, rapid technological change, shifting public expectations and the need for more equitable access are reshaping national and city priorities worldwide. The Annual Conference explored this transformation through themes such as resilient infrastructure, safer and healthier roads, equitable access, digitalisation and automation, sustainable materials and smarter city operations.
Anchoring this year’s conference discussions was the imminent launch of the United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport, taking place tomorrow (10 December). This context underscored a central message woven throughout the conference: the road sector must begin reimagining roads not as static pieces of infrastructure, but as systems shaped by people, pressures and possibilities. We invite you to stay tuned for IRF’s special announcement, where we will present our voluntary commitment to support and contribute to the UN Decade.
Special Highlights
Professor George Yannis was honoured with the IRF 2025 Personality of the Year Award, recognising his exceptional leadership, scientific contribution and global impact in advancing road safety and sustainable mobility. Read more
IRF 2025 Startup Label finalists showcasing breakthrough innovations ranging from digital road safety tools to sustainable construction materials. EcoPals GmbH was awarded the IRF Startup Label 2025 for its recycled polymer asphalt additive that reduces emissions while improving pavement performance. Read more
Save the Date
Thank you to all speakers, participants, partners and sponsors for helping make this year’s conference so dynamic and insightful. We are excited to see you in Geneva on 16 - 18 November 2026 for the next IRF Annual Conference.
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.
