Focus Area / Working Group: Networks

Europe is characterised by finely woven, coexisting and interacting networks in which traffic, goods and raw materials energy and information are floating and where supply and waste disposal of settlement centres is taking place as intersections of those networks. A high-quality infrastructure is a basic requirement for an economical and culturally successful industrial society. It provides wealth and secures quality of life for the citizens.

Knowledge-based Technologies in the Information Society

The importance of hitherto existing routing sectors seemingly has decreased in the past decades caused by the changeover from an industrial society to a service and information society. Development based on research funds mainly takes place in knowledge-based technologies that nowadays are regarded as the most important incitement of globalisation. Construction research that is related to traffic and technical infrastructure has lost political importance throughout the last years. The economic importance of the traffic infrastructure as well as the importance of supply and waste disposal systems as a basis for prosperity, which is historically documented, are to be raised again into the political awareness.

Boundary conditions are changing, for example caused by Europe’s harmonisation, the demographic development and the creation of new markets. Therewith besides the preservation of the already existing the flexible company, the reliable availability and the adjustment of the networks according to the demands will be an important task for the future. Life cycle oriented infrastructure management from regional supply line to the Trans European Traffic Axis is indispensable.

Tasks of the Working Group

The group’s tasks are the analysis of the previous research activities and the development of a strategic research concept as well as the compilation of research demands in the construction business, sector traffic and supply networks.

Topics for example are:

Further development of prognosis models
Development of methods and procedures for the evaluation of as-is state and quality
Development of procedures of life cycle oriented infrastructure management
Development of strategies for securing the availability of infrastructures

For further information please contact the chairman of the working group Networks, Dr.-Ing. Roland Leucker.

Last update:Monday, April 23/2012