The guest editor of the special issue of Network Industries Quarterly titled “The path towards digitalisation in road infrastructure” is Carlos Oliveira Cruz, professor at the Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Georesources – IST. Several other Técnico researchers presented a set of papers in this special issue. “The invitation came from professor Matthias Finger, the Managing Editor of Network Industries Quarterly. After that, I invited a group of Técnico researchers from different fields related to digitalisation, to participate in this special issue”, explains professor Carlos Oliveira Cruz.

“Digitalisation is unavoidable. Infrastructure and environment sectors are perhaps the most resistant to digital change. However, although poor structured, a number of changes have already occurred”, says professor Carlos Oliveira Cruz. “The road sector will benefit a lot from these changes, therefore, it deserves more attention,” he adds later. The impact of autonomous vehicles in urban areas, the challenges of vehicle electrification and the energy efficiency in urban mobility are some research topics.

The guest editor highlights: “Digitalisation will bring, in the medium to long term, profound challenges and disruptions to the existing status quo in terms of construction, management, and particularly, operation of road systems. The roads of the future will look very different from today. The road capacity will increase. However, there will be a transitional period that will not be simple”, said professor Carlos Oliveira Cruz.