On November 12–13, LIAISON project partners gathered in Madrid for the project’s third General Assembly, marking the halfway point in its journey toward making transport infrastructure more sustainable.
Hosted by project partner Acciona, the meeting featured discussions led by the project’s coordinator, Fundación Tecnalia Research & Innovation, and involved key beneficiaries from across Europe, including representatives from France, Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Slovenia.
Participants reviewed progress on LIAISON’s integrated roadways solutions—such as smart and sustainable beams, bioasphalts, new tunnel fan and lightning systems, damage detection in pavements and photovoltaic guardrails — as well as new ballast and retaining system for railways—all designed to minimize emissions and boost decarbonization and energy efficiency in the transport infrastructure sector.
Partners also emphasized the importance of the Dynamic Multi-Infrastructure Governance Framework (DMIGF) under development within the project. This framework aims to embed circular economy principles in infrastructure management, promoting standardized environmental practices across European countries and infrastructure systems.
The assembly reaffirmed LIAISON’s commitment to collaborative innovation, from procurement to construction phase, and including ongoing solution testing at demonstration sites in Spain, Poland, Slovenia, and Italy, as well as renewing efforts to identify and engage stakeholders across Europe who could benefit from LIAISON’s results.
“LIAISON seeks to implement principles of circularity, sustainability, and smart design through a set of indicators and solutions that can be applied by a variety of stakeholders throughout Europe. At this halfway point of the project, the solutions are becoming more tangible and we are really looking forward to introducing them to relevant stockholders in the field” said project coordinator David Garcia-Sanchez.
Local stakeholder feedback on the Dynamic Multi-Infrastructure Governance Framework and on the various solutions being developed will be vital to ensure that the project’s outputs meet the needs of the transport infrastructure industry’s path toward a zero-emissions future. For this reason, stakeholders will continue to have opportunities to engage with LIAISON activities throughout the project’s life span. The next Workshop is scheduled for June 4, 2025.
