Leading software solutions provider for the infrastructure sector Bentley Systems has appointed Nabil Abou-Rahme as chief research officer for its digital advancement academies. 

Working from Bentley’s London offices, Abou-Rahme will lead the company’s efforts in digital advancement research, collaborating with government, university, and industry visionaries to promote innovative solutions for advancing infrastructure. 

Abou-Rahme joins Bentley from Mott MacDonald, where he was actively involved in digital transformation, most recently as head of smart infrastructure and global practice leader for data science and prior to that, as divisional director for intelligent transport. 

His career began with applied research in network optimisation and control at the Transport Research Laboratory, where he went on to manage research teams and complete a PhD. Subsequent technical highlights from his consultancy roles include specifications for the EU ITS Directive, implementation of bank-led contactless payment systems on public transport in South Africa and developing operational regimes for the first “smart motorways” in the UK.

Bentley Systems CEO Greg Bentley said: “We are gratified to have Dr Abou-Rahme join us to inaugurate our chief research officer role. We are newly able to advance infrastructure engineering through digital twins, by converging technologies to simultaneously meet their essential requirements for digital context, digital components, and digital chronology. 

“Accordingly, an appropriate priority for Bentley Institute’s digital advancement academies is now to work with authoritative research organisations to explore and substantiate the growing benefits, which are already realisable from infrastructure digital twins. By virtue of his unique combination of infrastructure engineering expertise and research experience, and contagious zeal for ‘going digital,’ Nabil brings the perfect fit to lead these collaborative endeavours.” 

Commenting on his new role, Dr Abou-Rahme said: “Bentley has a clear commitment to accelerating the adoption of digital technologies, including advancing BIM through digital twins. A key part of digital advancement research is a portfolio of demonstrator projects, collaborative prototypes that allow us to explore the art of the possible, while leveraging the best of academic, technical, and industrial experience within those teams. 

“Our commitment also extends to supporting academic institutions through sponsorship and making our technologies available as a learning and development tool. Bentley’s open and collaborative approach to innovation is well established, and I am excited to be leading this portfolio into the next phase of application.”