Supporting Innovative Design and ConstructionKeynote Address

Innovation is at the core of the engineering profession. Innovation is driven largely by the need to increase efficiency, reduce costs, or respond to increasing complexity. In today’s context, these drivers appear to be converging, with efficiency, cost and increased complexity almost a baseline for all projects, and the impacts of climate change, sustainability and the circular economy a significant influence on the future of transport infrastructure. To seek the benefits of innovation on transport infrastructure projects, Major Road Projects Victoria’s (MRPV) aims to facilitate the minimisation and removal of barriers and obstacles to innovation. The barriers to innovation include a risk-adverse culture, limited capacity and capability of resources (both within industry and government), leadership, regulatory requirements and a bureaucratic culture, and rewards and incentives for the implementation of innovation. Through a series of new initiatives, this presentation will outline how MRPV is supporting innovation in design and construction of major road projects in Victoria. To address barriers associated with risk-aversion and capacity, MRPV have implemented a new delivery model that focuses on a program of projects with incentives for innovative solutions. For barriers associated with leadership, regulatory requirements and bureaucratic culture, MRPV is leading a program of modernising and updating standards and specifications including trialling intelligent compaction, and creating of a new technical specific for recycled organics.