> OIP Home > Return to Previous > The Role of PIARC in Global Road Information and Technology Transfer

THE ROLE OF PIARC IN GLOBAL ROAD INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
WORLD ROAD ASSOCIATION (PIARC)

• PIARC exists "To Exchange Knowledge and Techniques on Roads and Transportation"
  
• It was founded in 1909. It is the oldest international association concerned with Road Engineering, Road Policy and the Management of Road Networks
  
• It now has 97 Member Governments and more than 2000 members in 129 countries worldwide
  PIARC´S VISION
  
• "World leader in providing information on roads and road transport policy and practices within an integrated sustainable transport context"
  
• PIARC´s means to serve its members:
  * international forum for analysis and discussion of road and transportation related issues
  * identifying and disseminating best practice
  * supporting activities in developing countries and countries in transition
  * developing efficient tools for decision making
  PIARC´S VALUES
  WHAT IS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER FOR PIARC?
• "The process of openly gaining and freely sharing information about our experiences, solutions, technologies, and innovations"
  
• "In the road transport sector, as in any field, technology transfer can be a catalyst for accelerated economic, social and environmental development"
  WHAT DOES PIARC DO TO TRANSFER TECHNOLOGY?
  
• PIARC promotes sharing information about international best practice to serve all stakeholders in the road transport sector
  
• To achieve this, PIARC:
  * organizes its activities around specialized Technical Committees
  * organizes quadriennial World Road Congresses and Winter Road Congresses
  * sponsors technical seminars and
  * publishes a large number of documents including a quarterly magazine ("Routes/Roads")

TECHNICAL COMMITTEES

• 20 Technical Committees develop four year work programs and are grouped under 5 strategic theme topics:
  * Road Technology
  * Road Transport, Liveability & Sustainable Development
  * Road & Road Transport Operations
  * Management & Administration of the Road System
  * Appropiate Levels of Road & Road Transport Development
  PIARC TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER TOOLS
  
• Technical committees,
  
• Special Fund,
  
• Seminar programme,
  
• Technology Transfer Centers
  
• WIN
  
• HDM4
  SPECIAL FUND
  
• It is designed to enable professionals from developing countries and countries in transition to participate in PIARC´s activities and Technical Committee work
  
• It must help to reflect the whole range of PIARC member governments in PIARC activities
  
• The amount of the grant given is a function of GNP per capita
  
• Only countries classified as "Low-income economies" and "Lower-middle-income economies" by the World Bank may benefit from the Special Fund
  SEMINAR PROGRAMME
  
• Each Technical Committee generally holds an average of two plenary meetings a year
  
• All technical committees should arrange two meetings in developing or emerging countries before the XXII World Road Congress in Durban in 2003
  
• It is recommended that Technical Committees organize joint meetings with other professional organizations such as OECD, TRB, PIH and so on
  
• About 20 possible seminars are already in the program
  TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CENTERS
  
• In 1999, PIARC is Council passed a resolution to encourage the development of Technology Transfer Centers
  
• At present, PIARC has proposed 3 pilot National Technology Transfer Centres and 8 countries have submitted expressions of interest
  
• Technology Transfer Centers Activities:
  * Maintain a reference library of key documents
  * Maintain Internet access
  * Maintain an up to date list of transport web-sites
  * Produce a regular newsletter
  TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CENTERS
  * Maintain a list of transport sector training courses
  * Produce an annual report for the PIARC First Delegate
  * Prepare strategies for using various media for information exchange
  * Maintain independence from commercial interests and
  * Evaluate performance as a Technology Transfer Center
  WORLD INTERCHANGE NETWORK (WIN)
  
• WIN is a network of computer nodes at the service of the international road community
  
• The basic concept of WIN consists in putting people with questions in touch with people with answers through an efficient information and knowledge interchange network
  
• Nodes are the core of WIN
  
• Using WIN is completely free of charge
  HIGHWAY DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (HDM4)
  
• HDM4 is a software system for analyzing investment choices in road transport infrastructure
  
• The system assists users in making choices about
  * Developing new roads
  * Improving existing roads
  * Maintaining existing roads
  * Introducing new vehicle technology
  * Introducing new ways for funding and managing road assets
  
• PIARC has promoted HDM4 development with other organizations and now is supporting its worldwide dissemination and use
  CONCLUSIONS
  
• The information revolution makes understanding knowledge and development more urgent than before
  
• New communication technologies and lower computing costs are shrinking distances and eroding borders and time
  
• PIARC contributes to disseminate and share road related knowledge and helps to place it at the center of development policies