IRF News

As part of the 2925 International Smart Transport Symposium (ISTS) co-hosted by the China Highway & Transportation Society (CHTS) and the IRF, the delegation visited Shenzhen and Beijing to explore pioneering examples of smart and sustainable mobility in action.

The visit forms part of the lead-up to the 2025 International Smart Transportation Symposium, which will focus on forward-looking and critical technologies in smart cities and smart transportation and their integrated domain. The Symposium will feature thematic presentations, high-level discussions, exhibitions, achievement releases, international competitions and academic paper submissions. It will gather government representatives, international organisation leaders, industry innovators, institutions and renowned experts to exchange insights on industry hotspots, cutting-edge topics and emerging innovations shaping the future of mobility.

In Shenzhen, the delegation visited Shenzhen Bus Group and WeRide to experience the city’s cutting-edge autonomous bus service. Shenzhen’s B888 Route, a Level 4 autonomous bus line, connects the Luohu Port border crossing to the MixC Mall. Equipped with over 20 advanced sensors, including lidar and high-definition cameras for 360-degree perception, these buses operate safely under the supervision of onboard safety personnel. The IRF delegation also learned about another pilot in the Qianhai District, where 20 self-driving minibuses operate across four routes, demonstrating how automation is enhancing daily urban mobility.

Continuing their study tour, the IRF delegation met with officials from the Tongzhou District Government in Beijing to gain insights into the district’s forward-thinking sustainable transport strategy. As Beijing’s urban sub-center, Tongzhou is redefining connected and low-carbon urban living through comprehensive planning and smart infrastructure.

Tongzhou’s ambitious “three-fast, two-main” road system and “eleven-horizontal, nine-vertical” backbone network have strengthened connectivity between the sub-center and central Beijing. The East Sixth Ring underground reconstruction project, China’s longest shield highway tunnel, has further improved mobility and reconnected previously divided urban areas.

Through its Smart Traffic 3.0 Expansion Project, Tongzhou has modernised more than 580 intersections with intelligent signal controls, real-time data integration and over 17,000 sensing devices. These advancements have increased arterial road speeds by 11% and reduced average vehicle delays by 32%, illustrating the tangible benefits of digital transformation in urban mobility management.

At the same time, the district continues to promote active and inclusive mobility by upgrading walking and cycling networks to enhance accessibility, comfort and safety for all road users.

The CHTS played a vital role in facilitating these meaningful exchanges with local authorities, enabling IRF representatives to gain first-hand insights into China’s innovations in transport technology and policy.

Representing IRF were Mr. Dimitrios Mandalozis, President of the International Road Federation, and Ms. Alice Yiu, Head of Advocacy and Outreach, who engaged with key counterparts including Mr. Han Song, Deputy District Head of Tongzhou District; Mr. Jia Fei, Director of the Transportation Comprehensive Affairs Center of Tongzhou District and Ms. Guan Nina, Director of the International Cooperation Department of CHTS.

IRF extends its gratitude to Shenzhen Bus Group and WeRide for their impressive demonstrations and insights into the real-world deployment of autonomous transport. Pilot projects such as these are essential for informing and inspiring the scaling of smart, sustainable mobility solutions in cities worldwide.

15 October | Online - IRF and the Hi-Drive European Project recently hosted a webinar titled “Technology Enablers for Higher Vehicle Automation & Operations: Testing Performance and Reliability of ADFs for Extending and Fragmenting ODDs.”

The webinar gathered experts and innovators from across Europe to explore how advanced technologies are paving the way for safer, smarter and more connected mobility and showed how testing methods directly shape the vehicles, road systems and safety technologies we use every day.

Hi-Drive is at the forefront of efforts to extend and harmonise Operational Design Domains (ODDs), the real-world conditions under which automated vehicles can operate safely. By focusing on critical technology enablers such as Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication, high-precision positioning, cybersecurity and machine learning, the project tackles some of the toughest challenges to achieving trustworthy, scalable automation.

These innovations aim to make automated driving more reliable and responsive to the diverse realities of Europe’s road networks, both urban and rural, national and cross-border.

Turning Research into Real-World Results

During the webinar, Christina Anagnostopoulou from the Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS) and Luisa Andreone, Stellantis-CRF, shared how Hi-Drive has been testing Automated Driving Functions (ADFs) in diverse environments. The topics covered a scenarios ranging from controlled test tracks to public roads with real traffic and weather conditions. Having conducted over 120 experiments across Europe, the project’s partners are generating valuable insight into how automation can perform safely and consistently in complex scenarios, such as low visibility, cross-border travel, and mixed traffic.

The initiative also relies on advanced data engineering tools to ensure transparent, high-quality analysis across all trials, an essential step in building public confidence in automated transport. As Luisa Andreone, Stellantis-CRF, explained, the project “is pushing towards robust and reliable automated driving, extending and defragmenting ODDs whilst ensuring interoperability across countries and brands.”

A Step Forward for Safer, Smarter Mobility

By connecting research with policy and practice, Hi-Drive exemplifies how technological innovation can contribute to safer and more sustainable transport systems. The integration of automation, connectivity, and data-driven learning has the potential to reduce crashes, optimise traffic flow and support greener, more efficient mobility across regions.

“Hi-Drive’s operations are designed to test automated driving functions under a variety of real-world conditions, such as those exhibited in closed-track simulations and public-road trials, to ensure their safety and reliability.” - Christina Anagnostopoulou

The project’s outcomes will be showcased at the Hi-Drive Final Event: “Bridging the Gaps in the ODD,” which will be held on 25th November 2025 at the AutoWorld Museum in Brussels.

Together with partners like Hi-Drive, the IRF continues to advocate for innovation, making roads not only more advanced but also safer, cleaner, and more accessible for all.

31 October | International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) reminds us of the urgent need to strengthen our resilience against natural and human-induced disasters. Resilience in this context goes beyond constructing strong infrastructure; it calls for smart operations, sustainable financing, and climate readiness across all levels of the transport system. 

Resilient road systems stand on four pillars:  

• Structural resilience- ensures roads are designed and built using durable standards and materials 
• Operational resilience - keeps traffic moving during crises through redundancy, contingency routes, and intelligent systems 
• Economic and financial resilience - secures the resources needed to sustain maintenance and services during difficult times 
• Climate resilience - equips networks to withstand and recover from the increasing impacts of extreme weather. 

IDDRR highlights that proactive planning, sustainable infrastructure and global cooperation are key to minimising disaster impacts and safeguarding lives. 

Disaster-struck infrastructure  

Natural calamities expose weaknesses in how we design, maintain, and plan road infrastructure and road networks. It only takes one disaster to break open a host of issues that endanger motorists, vulnerable road users and emergency responders. 

Extreme weather events can cripple transport networks within hours. Floods wash away bridges, landslides block highways and debris flows isolate towns and villages. In emergencies, road accessibility often determines who can be rescued, treated and supplied. It can literally mean the difference between life and death. 

These challenges expose the urgent need for infrastructure that protects lives, sustains economies, and keeps communities connected before, during, and after disasters. 

Recognising projects that prioritise resilience 

For the IRF, disaster risk reduction is inseparable from its mission to advance safer, more resilient roads worldwide. Roads are not only vital for daily mobility and economic activity. During crises, they become lifelines for evacuation, emergency response, and relief distribution. 

IRF continues to advocate for road systems that can withstand changing climate conditions and extreme events. By integrating risk assessments, sustainable materials and innovative design standards, transport networks can significantly reduce their vulnerability to disasters. 

This commitment to resilience is reflected in IRF’s Circle of Excellence, which recognise outstanding projects and innovations that embody sustainability, safety, and climate readiness in the road and mobility sectors.  

Through these awards, IRF celebrates the engineers, policymakers, and organisations whose visionary work strengthens the resilience of transport systems. 

IRF Circle of Excellence for Resilience  

The Digital-technology-based Daloushan Mountains Extra-long Tunnels Emergency Management Technology Package Project by Guizhou Expressway Group Co., Ltd., Jiaoke Transport Consultants Ltd., and Guizhou Zhongnan Transportation Technology Co., Ltd., uses five innovative technologies applied to the tunnels for safe, green, efficient and intelligent tunnel operation and management.  

It gives warnings to management and control technology, monitoring 97.4% of traffic incidents and gives an earlyrning-based response time in less than 30 seconds. It also integrates ventilation and energy conservation technology, saving 2 million kWh of power every year. Finally, it gives fire-control partition water supply technology, improving water supply safety and resilience by 50%. 

The MAWIS (Mobile Advanced Road Weather Information Sensor) Project by Egis offers transformative advancements in enhancing sustainability and operational efficiency, particularly in preventive inter-maintenance. The sensors allow for the anticipation and response to sudden weather changes.  

This targeted approach improves safety and reduces environmental impact by minimising chemical usage, contributing to more sustainable maintenance practices. With MAWIS, 1,300 tonnes of carbon dioxide were reduced, with total carbon emissions going down by 5% 

The Climate Informed Digital Road Asset Management System (iROADS) for Kerala PWD by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) offers an integrated platform for climate-smart planning, efficient budgeting and informed road decisions.  

Kerala is a high-performing state in Southern India with a human development index among the nation’s highest and a population about 35 million. It boasts an impressive 332,000 kilometres of road network. The platform addresses Kerala’s rising climate threats. Climate-smart planning looks to reduce the over 4,700 landslides the region experiences in one season.  

Boosting climate resilience preparedness saved about USD 2.63 million on core road network maintenance.  

Excellence in resilience   

These award-winning initiatives exemplify how innovation, foresight, and collaboration can transform road infrastructure into systems that endure disasters and actively prevents them from becoming humanitarian crises. From intelligent tunnel management and adaptive weather sensors to climate-informed asset planning, these projects show that resilience is achievable when technology, policy, and purpose align. 

As the world observes the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, the IRF Circle of Excellence stands as a testament to what’s possible when resilience becomes a shared priority. Each recognised project reflects IRF’s unwavering mission to advance safe, sustainable, and climate-ready road systems that keep communities connected before, during, and after disasters. 

Stay tuned for more stories and insights from the IRF Circle of Excellence, celebrating global leadership and innovation in building resilient transport systems.