Emerging Technology & Sustainability

To help our members deliver better services and sustainability into the future.

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Emerging Technology & Sustainability - planning for our future

Low cost sensors, smart controls, new IoT communications networks and increasingly sophisticated data analytics are changing how our members deliver public works and engineering services to the communities that they serve across Australia and New Zealand. The pace of technological change is only set to accelerate as fields such as transport, waste and water embrace the use of these digital technologies in the outdoor space.

Recently we announced our new Emerging Technology Program to help our members deliver better services into the future. IPWEA will be progressively launching a series of initiatives under this Program. Our areas of focus have been chosen based on their strong fit with members’ interests, that they involve high levels of spending or revenue in the organisations that they work for and based on evidence that these emerging technologies having commercially matured to the point that the business case is strong and deployments are steadily picking up.

The Emerging Technology Program can add value for our members by delivering authoritative and commercially impartial guidance documents and the training that they need to successfully deliver these new technologies.

Our first two Emerging Technology initiatives are:

Emerging Technology + Sustainability

The Circular Economy and Use of Recycled Materials in Infrastructure Assets

Launched in June 2023, the IPWEA Circular Economy and Use of Recycled Materials in Infrastructure Assets program is designed to help our members understand the case for a necessary pathway to sustainability. A Circular Economy can be defined as: an economic system that replaces the ‘end-of-life’ concept with reducing, alternatively reusing, recycling and recovering materials in production / distribution and consumption processes. As well as a comprehensive online learning program to rapidly build your knowledge and skills in Circular Economy and Use of Recycled Materials in Infrastructure Assets.

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Street Lighting & Smart Controls Program

This established program aims to accelerate the efficient adoption of modern street lighting and smart controls technologies. It involves high-level government and industry engagement, the development of robust industry standard documentation and training.

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Asset Tracking & Monitoring

Launched in November 2021, the IPWEA Asset Tracking and Monitoring program is designed to help our members understand the case for widely installing tracking and monitoring devices on assets such as their fleet, other small plant, higher value stock items and for monitoring access (eg on doors, gates, hatches and storm water covers). IPWEA has released documents outlining the business case for widespread adoption of asset tracking, a model strategy for our members and well-vetted model procurement specifications that they can use to help buy asset tracking and monitoring devices and services. As well as a comprehensive online learning program to rapidly build your knowledge and skills in asset tracking and monitoring.

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Emerging Technology Forum at IPWC

We are working on the content for 2025 International Public Works Conference website. If you have any enquiries about getting involved, please contact IPWEA Support.

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