Highlights from the 4th International Conference for Sustainable Mobility & IRF Annual Conference 2022 

Over 300 selected professionals from 49 countries and more than 30 speakers from key organisations in the public and private sector – as well as start-ups – gathered upon invitation from IRF and ADM to discuss innovative approaches to accelerate the roll-out of safe, inclusive, and climate-friendly transport infrastructure projects for a sustainable recovery and growth. 

“This edition of the conference has a strong focus on action, on best practices and innovation (…) But let’s not fool ourselves: transforming mobility requires more than just technology and infrastructure. It requires a system change and that will only happen if we work together” stated during the opening plenary IRF President Anouar Benazzouz as he welcomed on stage Morocco’s Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka and other high-level speakers including Ahmed Reda Chami (President of CESE), António Nunes de Sousa (President of ASECAP), Radu Dinescu (President of IRU), Magali Anderson (Chief Sustainability & Innovation Officer of Holcim), and Christophe Saintillan (Deputy Director-General of Vinci Autoroutes). 

The conference unfolded around an opening ceremony, three thematic sessions articulated around effective project delivery, new trends and innovation, and impacts assessment and a session specifically dedicated to start-ups (full programme available here).

Finalists from the 2022 edition of the IRF Start-up Label contest and selected Moroccan start-ups got the chance to pitch their solutions in front of a selected and high-profile audience. More information about this year’s finalists of the IRF Start-up Label can be found here.

The final part of the event was marked by a number of special announcements and awards. Jacques-Emmanuel Saulnier (Senior Vice President Citizenship Engagement & General Delegate of the TotalEnergies Foundation) and Benacer Boulaajoul (Director General, National Road Safety Agency Morocco (NARSA) & Steering Committee Chair, African Regional Road Safety Observatory – ARSO) took the stage together with IRF President, Anouar Benazzouz, for a special announcement concerning the 2022 edition of the IRF World Road Statistics. Thanks to the support of the TotalEnergies Foundation and the Michelin Corporate Foundation, this 2022 edition of WRS data is now available for free through the IRF Data Warehouse platform. Read more here.

IRIS was announced as the winner of this year edition of the IRF Start-up Label. You can read more about their work here. 

Finally, Magali Anderson, Chief Sustainability & Innovation Officer of Holcim, was bestowed with the IRF Personality of the Year 2022 Award. The Personality of the Year Award has been discerned annually since 1951 to honour individuals widely recognised as having made particularly distinguished and inspirational contributions to the fields of roads and transport.  Read more about the announcement here.

ERTICO-ITS Europe, the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA-AITES), the African Roads Maintenance Funds Association (ARMFA), the European Union Road Federation and the International Bridge, Tunnel & Turnpike Association (IBTTA) were among the other “sister” organisations present and that contributed to the success of the event. 

Pictures and speakers’ presentations are available on the event page.