UCL’s Professor Brian Collins is eager to start research work on combining knowledge from all of UK infrastructure to universally improve performance and economy of the country’s roads, rail, water and energy supplies.

Since privatisation of the utilities in the eighties and nineties there has been very little strategic research on how to modernise and maintain our Victorian infrastructure. 

A report for the Prime Minister in 2009 recommended more research in infrastructure and whilst there has been some progress since then there has been nothing like enough.

"The budget involved in such research is a very small fraction of the hundreds of billions projected for infrastructure modernisation over the next few decades in the UK but the effects could be savings of many billions" 

A number of professors in 13 universities identified this gap in activity and funding two years ago. We produced a proposal – UK Collaboration on Research in Infrastructure and Cities (UKCRIC) -  that was accepted in principle by the Chancellor in the summer 2015 Budget, and is currently being scrutinised for value for money by the Department for Business Innovations and Skills and Her Majesty’s Treasury, with the aim that work should start as soon as possible.

The idea is that UKCRIC will provide leadership and support for the development and growth of a coordinated and coherent, world class, UK-based national infrastructure research community, involving many universities, Innovate UK and commercial companies and investors to create a world class research ecosystem.

This will engage government, city and commercial policy makers and citizens in a joint venture that drives innovation and value creation in the exploitation of services provided by national infrastructure as set out in the 2014 National Infrastructure Plan and Science and Industry Strategy. 

When this research ecosystem is fully developed, which might take a decade or more, the UK will have a knowledge, system and technology base which will put it in a world leading position to influence how next generation of infrastructure is designed, delivered and operated. This will occur through world class research addressing the needs of a low carbon, resilient, adaptable society living and working in cities and rural contexts.

Priorities will be to address the value extracted from investment in and the cost of ownership of major utilities by using for example data gathered from embedded sensor and connections to the internet of things in all of infrastructure.

"The appointment of Lord Adonis as Head of the Infrastructure Commission provides a most welcome acceleration of the process of delivering strategic national level stewardship of infrastructure governance and implementation"

Railways, both in cities and around the country, water systems for drinking water, flood management and sewage, congestion management in towns and cities using intelligent transport systems and autonomous vehicles would all supply information. And using that vast data source, for all infrastructure, cost of maintenance can be reduced, disruption minimised, and better utilisation of facilities such as underground utilities can be made so as to minimise disturbance to and maximise availability of essential services.

The budget involved in such research is a very small fraction of the hundreds of billions projected for infrastructure modernisation over the next few decades in the UK but the effects could be savings of many billions in the implementation and the continued operation of the infrastructure services.

In addition the research will provide a highly skilled and educated workforce and considerable export potential in knowhow and services; all countries, developed and developing, are facing this modernisation challenge, not least in the area of low carbon energy, and the UK would become a leading player around the world in providing integrated infrastructure solutions.

Current infrastructure responses to challenges such as extreme events, climate change, resource security, stimulating economic growth, exploiting innovative technology and changing societal needs – both now and in the far future – are all found wanting. Current policies of patching our ageing infrastructure using traditional techniques are not providing affordable solutions for the future.

The appointment of Lord Adonis as Head of the Infrastructure Commission provides a most welcome acceleration of the process of delivering strategic national level stewardship of infrastructure governance and implementation.

The UKCRIC consortium looks forward to the opportunity of working with Lord Adonis and his Commission to ensure the well-being of national infrastructure into the decades to come.

Professor Brian Collins is convenor of the UKCRIC consortium and professor of engineering policy at UCL.