The World Road Association (PIARC) has established a Special Projects mechanism to enable it to respond outside the usual four-year Technical Committee cycle to emerging issues and priorities identified by its members. This report responds to the Special Project “Innovation Policies in the Road Sector” Call for Proposals. This PIARC Special Project is about innovation processes at the organisational level for PIARC members.
- What are the processes or best practices employed by road and transport agencies to encourage and sustain innovation at the organisational level, and to better identify and implement innovations?
- What lessons on innovation can be learned from other sectors?
- What recommendations can be established and implemented at the organisational level?
PIARC commissioned TRL to undertake a research project to identify the ways in which road and transport agencies encourage and sustain innovation, and to identify any lessons that may be learned from other sectors. Specific objectives included identification of internal and external innovation encouragement strategies, understanding of mechanisms to identify and implement and sustain innovations. The project also sought to develop insights into cultivating a culture of innovation, both internally and with external stakeholders at national and international levels. Furthermore, the project explored the applicability of processes, concepts, and approaches from other sectors to enhance innovation in the road and transport domain.
