Building Partnerships Since 1948
2018 will mark seven full decades since the International Road Federation was established in Washington DC to assist the world’s reconstruction effort at a time when many of its connectivity infrastructure links lay in ruins. The intuition of my predecessors was that the flow of investments had to be accompanied with a steady stream of ideas and knowledge, to ensure that new roads were built to the best and safest standards. 70 years on, this vision remains the driving inspiration behind our collective effort to continue providing world-class knowledge resources, advocacy services, and continuing education programs which together offer a global marketplace for best practices and industry solutions.
IRF Members can justifiably look back at an action-filled year which offered more opportunities than ever for the voice of the roads & mobility community to be heard at a time of profound transformation in our industry. From Indonesia, to Namibia, and Dubai to Colombia, through workshops and webinars, IRF’s messages were heard by a combined audience of 10,000 decision-makers and professionals. In 2018, we will continue building on this strong foundation with more than 30 events already planned offering countless opportunities to share insights and establish lasting connections.
At a time of growing complexity in infrastructure design, the need to train the next generation of transportation experts in areas ranging from road safety and rural accessibility, to climate-resilient roads and innovative financing has never been greater. Skilled managers and frontline personnel able to formulate, plan, and deliver highway infrastructure programs will increasingly make the difference between those countries that are successful in reducing their connectivity deficits, and those that risk getting left behind.
It is to avoid letting countries fall into this knowledge gap that IRF has updated its offering of executive education services. As a strong believer in continuing education, we provide our members and road professionals worldwide with educational opportunities that cover the whole of the project lifecycle from planning and financing through design and construction, asset management and highway operations. IRF courses are delivered by engineers, constructors, materials suppliers, and working practitioners in the road building industry providing the latest practices and insights on best practices and the current trends in our market. There are many ways to benefit from IRF’s educational services - please do not hesitate to continue soliciting us for your training needs.
In the years to come, I fully expect our sector’s challenges to grow. Roads which are being designed and built today will serve an increasingly diversified range of motorized vehicles and mobility services. Full automation presents important questions to infrastructure planners and road builders which will require a level of cross-industry expertise that the IRF is perfectly situated to address through its high-quality network of experts, advanced research capabilities; and knowledge-sharing instruments.
Eng. Abdullah A. Al-Mogbel
IRF Chairman