Intelligent Infrastructure Systems (September 2004 - January 2006)

About the project:

The IIS project was launched at the Institution of Electrical Engineers on 26th January 2006.

Dr. Stephen Ladyman, Minister of State for Transport in the Department for Transport, was the sponsor Minister for this project on intelligent. He also chaired the Stakeholder group.

The aim of the project:

The aim of the project was to explore how science and technology may be applied over the next fifty years to the design and implementation of intelligent infrastructure systems that are robust, sustainable and safe.

The project objectives were:

• To focus on transportation of goods and people and the alternatives to mass movement,
• To look at the future of transportation systems, and the application of information technologies and infrastructure; and to provide:
  • a view of the future technologies and an exploration in the scenarios of how we might deploy those technologies
  • an understanding of how best to use those technologies to deliver our objectives
  • a view of the opportunities and challenges that intelligent infrastructure will deliver
  • an understanding of the presumptions that underpin the decisions we make, and
  • the strategic choices that the UK faces, along with most other societies.

Outputs

• A review of futures work was undertaken, to ensure that our project built on other work that has been carried out.
• 18 State-of-the-Science Reviews were produced. These set out current science capabilities, areas of interesting research, and the science community's view of future capabilities. They provided the evidence base to help to answer the key questions the project set out to answer. Each review has been peer-reviewed.
• The project developed a number of scenarios which provided visions of the future which considered how robustness, sustainability and safety might vary in different scenarios. Each scenario examines the movement of people and goods in rural areas, in urban areas and between areas. The scenarios were tested and refined in a series of workshops which were held in June 2005 and involved experts from a variety of disciplines.
• A Technology Forward Look reviewed current road maps for the development and application of the technology, and considered what future technological capabilities might be possible or be required.
• A "Next Steps" document, setting out how stakeholders from across and outside Government planned to respond to the findings of the project.
• We have produced a package of teaching materials drawing on lessons from the project, aimed at secondary schools.
  
  

Current Status

Actions since the project launch were considered at a reconvened High-Level Stakeholder Group in February 2007.

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