| row-start col-md-7 #top-section top-section new-section no-pad-bottom-section |
About the event
The World Road Association (WRA) was established in 1909, following the first international road congress held in Paris. It was the called the ‘Association Internationale Permanente des Congrès de la Route’ (AIPCR), or in English, the ‘Permanent International Association of Road Congresses’ (PIARC). It brings together the road administrations of 121 governments and has members − individuals, companies, authorities and organisations in over 140 countries. The UK is a high profile and active member.
The World Road Congress is the official Congress of the WRA that meets every four years with the aim of countries sharing techniques and experiences in the field of road infrastructure and road transport, including highways maintenance and asset management.
This year, the 26th World Road Congress will be taking place in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the first time in its 110 year history that the event will be held in the Middle East. The theme for the 26th Congress is ‘Connecting Cultures, Enabling Economies’. It will host 150 presentations with more than 50 workshops and sessions. This event will bring together many ministers and deputy ministers from the 121-member countries and more than 5,000 delegates from more than 100 countries, with a total of more than 8,000 participants. The Congress will be accompanied by a large exhibition with nearly 200 exhibitors and nearly 20,000 visitors.
The UK will have the second largest stand at the event, only behind that of the hosts. Other prominent UK stakeholders have agreed to play a significant role in the UK presence at the Congress, including Highways England and Transport Scotland with further participation expected from UK civil engineering, transport asset management and consultancy companies.
The UK will also be enhancing its presence through the attendance of a Minister from the Department for Transport and a Scottish Government Cabinet Minister. In addition, the UK will be sponsoring ‘Foresight Session 9’, to highlight solutions to harnessing the economic and social benefits of disability-inclusive road transport, based on good practice and experience from around the world.
This PIARC Congress will be a unique opportunity to present numerous technical results and best practices in all areas related to roads and road transport. It is aimed at all stakeholders from around the world, from both the public and private sectors, who can meet in one place to present and discuss new approaches and solutions to road transport and infrastructure and share their experiences.
| row-end col-sm-12 col-md-5 top-80 |
| row-end col-sm-12 col-md-5 top-80 |
| row-start col-md-7 sponsor-section |
Sector
The Congress is aimed at the road infrastructure and maintenance sector – those responsible for the road surfacing, bridges, tunnels, drainage and lighting assets that make travel by road possible, as well as those who collect data and road asset information. These combined assets in this context are commonly referred to as ‘fixed assets’. Although often taken for granted in our daily lives, without them and without a high standard of maintenance or ‘asset management’, the movement of people and goods by road, the lifeblood of modern economies would not be possible.
The UK is a world leader in this field and companies large and small across the UK are continuing to innovate to make asset management of road infrastructure more efficient and cost effective. This innovation that the UK has to offer will be the theme of the UK stand at the World Road Congress in Abu Dhabi.
| col-sm-12 col-md-5 top-80 row-end top-80 |
| row-start col-xs-12 video-section center row-end |
| row-start col-xs-12 col-md-8 colour-section narrow-section |
If you are interested in partnering with the UK Pavilion at WRC 2019, please register now.
| row-end col-xs-12 col-md-4 |
