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SUMMARY:CSIC Annual Lecture 2015 London's transport: infrastructure\, valu
 e and the case for innovation - Dr Keith Bowers 
DTSTART:20150629T163000Z
DTEND:20150629T180000Z
UID:TALK59448@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Samantha Archetti
DESCRIPTION:This lecture will offer a railway civil engineer's perspective
  on innovation in the development of major infrastructure. The focus will 
 be on some of the transport systems on which London\, in particular\, depe
 nds.  These systems have been a target for application of a number of the 
 technologies being developed through CSIC in Cambridge. The lecture will l
 ook at the need for change in infrastructure\, mechanisms that may help en
 able that change\, and examples of innovation which may teach us lessons f
 or the future.\n\nWe will start by considering the nature of infrastructur
 e systems and the reasons why we might wish to expand and change the infra
 structure we have. London in 2015 clearly demonstrates drivers for change.
  Population in the city has recently grown to its highest ever level and t
 he locations of employment centres are evolving. This presents both challe
 nge and opportunity for the transport system.\n\nWhen we perceive a possib
 le case for changing infrastructure or the associated processes we must co
 nsider how to show the value of investing in the changes we propose. Unles
 s we can do this effectively many of the best ideas may be left on the she
 lf. Future change will need to be sustainable and clearly related to tangi
 ble and measurable benefits.  Unfortunately we sometimes find the benefit 
 of future change can be hard to quantify\, particularly when it is associa
 ted with unfamiliar technology.  The issues might relate to technical capa
 bility\, economics or risk but we may also find that human factors\, such 
 as trust in the technology\, may be significant in determining what is ado
 pted. A structured “Value Model” may provide a tool for better describ
 ing potential benefits and uncertainties in a way which both the innovatio
 n proposer and the infrastructure manager can evaluate.\n\nThe lecture wil
 l be illustrated with examples of recent and historic technology innovatio
 ns ranging from Roman engineering through spiral escalators and computer c
 ontrolled tunnelling to future station design in a 4D virtual world. The r
 easons why some ideas have been more successfully adopted than others will
  be considered. Can we learn from these experiences? Can we get better at 
 spotting which technologies we should invest in and how do we ensure we ma
 ximise the success when we do invest?\n
LOCATION:McGrath Centre\, St Catharine’s College\, University of Cambrid
 ge
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