STA Newsletter
Issue # Q4 2024
A quarterly online journal providing news and background about activities undertaken by STA with a view to improving the methods, technologies and standards associated to transportation infrastructures.
2024 STA Annual Conference & Innovation Awards
The proceedings are now available!
On 7 November 2024, the 9th edition of the STA Annual Conference and Innovation Awards, under the title “Advancing the Digitisation of Transport Infrastructures”, took place at the School of Civil Engineering of the Technical University of Madrid (UPM) in Madrid, Spain. This year’s edition focused on integrating advanced digital technologies and data-driven solutions to optimise the performance, sustainability, and resilience of transport infrastructures. Two unique site visits were included, a technical visit to the Operations Centre of the Madrid West Light Rail Network , and a tour to the Torres Quevedo Museum, within UPM premises. Discover more details and find the presentations available in the conference proceedings.
STA Smart Talks Mini Series Releases Three Episodes
STA has launched a new mini-series, within the Smart Talks video podcasts, focusing on the digitisation of transport infrastructures.
This series aims to explore the role of advanced technologies in enhancing transport systems, making them more efficient, sustainable, and resilient.
In the first episode, Dr Edwin Van Hassel, Professor at the University of Antwerp and Visiting Professor at the Delft University of Technology, highlights the importance of the inland waterway system following the digitisation trends seen in other sectors.
In the second episode, Mr José Miguel Perandones, Managing Director of AMAC Europe S.L, presents the impact of digital mapping technologies for highways on the digitisation of the transport sector.
In the third episode, Mr Ricardo Lobo, Head of the R&D Department at Aleatica, discusses how mobility data and digital technologies can revolutionise transport infrastructure management.
STA wishes you Happy Holidays & a Happy New Year!
Best wishes from the STA team!
The Smart Transportation Alliance (STA) extends its warmest wishes to all our readers for a Happy Holiday Season. We hope you enjoy this time with your loved ones and have a wonderful start to the New Year.
As we wrap up 2024, we’re celebrating a year of remarkable achievements! Read the article to explore this year’s standout moments and key milestones.
“A modern transport system which does not steam data is inconceivable. The one who wants to build the world’s most modern infrastructure must envisage, plan and build roads, rails and digital capacity all as one.”
NEWS OF INTEREST
CEF Transport: €2.5 billion available for infrastructure projects across the EU
CINEA has unveiled the 2024 CEF Transport Calls to enhance and modernise transport infrastructure across EU.
The European Climate, Infrastructure, and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) has launched the 2024 calls for proposals under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for Transport, offering an impressive €2.5 billion to build and upgrade transport infrastructure across the EU and the CEF-associated countries of Ukraine and Moldova.
The calls focus on projects aligned with the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) under the new TEN-T Regulation, targeting core, extended core, and comprehensive networks. Eligible areas include railways, inland waterways, maritime and inland ports, road safety, multimodal hubs, and infrastructure resilience. The submission deadline is 21 January 2025 at 17:00 CET.
Cement co-processing avoids up to 1 tonne of CO2 emissions per tonne processed
The report shows that cement facilities save up to 1 Tonne of CO2 Per Tonne of Composite Waste Compared to Incineration.
A joint report from nine European industry associations highlights the environmental benefits of treating End-of-Life (EoL) composites through cement co-processing. According to the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), this process can save up to 1 tonne of CO2 per tonne of waste, compared to traditional incineration methods.
U.S. government push to change road construction materials to impact climate change
A new federal initiative targets low-carbon road materials.
The U.S. government, supported by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), has awarded $1.19 billion to nearly 40 states under the Low Carbon Transportation Material Grants Program.
Funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, the initiative promotes low-carbon materials like asphalt, concrete, steel, and glass to cut greenhouse gas emissions across their life cycles. This effort marks a step toward greener infrastructure and national climate goals.