Darren Capes has taken the reins from Katharine Kelly as President of the Institute of Highway Engineers (IHE).
Following the organisation's AGM on 3 July, Mr Capes, who is the Department for Transport's (DfT) head of road infrastructure technology, set out his vision for the Institute.
He said that ensuring highway engineers have the skills to ‘embrace rapidly evolving technology' will be one of his key priorities during his term.
Mr Capes added that he sees a ‘significant opportunity' to align government ambitions around workforce development with the needs of the wider highways sector.
He said: ‘Our vision is to be the institute of choice for highway engineers and a leading advocate for the highways sector, and our mission is to provide professional development opportunities, support and leadership for individuals to achieve and maintain professional recognition.
‘As new technologies change the jobs we do and the sector welcomes an increasingly diverse workforce, we will work to ensure the opportunity for professional growth and development is available to all'.
Some of the technologies Mr Capes wants to help IHE members become more acquainted with during his presidency include advances such as AI-enabled gritting vehicles, connected maintenance equipment and increasingly intelligent construction plant, all of which he argued are becoming ‘commonplace across the sector' and leaving the confines of research.
Mr Capes added that, while innovation is accelerating, the industry's foundations are still the same.
‘The highways sector will always need skilled engineers to design, maintain and operate the network', he said, ‘but those professionals will increasingly be supported by digital tools, automation and data-driven decision-making. My aim is to ensure the Institute helps both existing and future engineers develop the skills needed to thrive in this changing environment.'
