Being accepted into this highly competitive program is a significant recognition of the groundbreaking work we have done to revolutionize guardrail inspections.
The project aims to explore advanced methods for increased road safety through new technology and data-driven solutions. The aim is to develop innovative methods that deliver better insights, smarter priorities, safer roads at a lower cost than current solutions offer.
– Vision Zero requires investments in what actually works. Safety barriers work well, but they need continuous investment. Every year, deaths occur due to missing or faulty barriers. says Marianne Gjerde, CEO at Arvid Gjerde.
Bård Nonstad from The Norwegian Public Roads Administration highlights the importance of condition data:
– We need to get better at prioritizing, and condition grade data is the key to making the right decisions. If we are to plan maintenance in multi-year cycles, we depend on solid data. It’s about moving from subjective inspections to objective data.
Kickoff for the IPN-project at the iSi HQ
Brynjulv Eide who works on road maintenance in Møre og Romsdal Municipality points to the economic realities:
– Vision Zero must come first. The transport budget is large, but never sufficient – which means we have to spend the funds more wisely. It’s about more precise spending and better ability to prioritize. If you are not the richest, you have to be the smartest.
Ketil Dahl, Head of Market and Business Development at Mesta AS emphasizes efficiency and data:
– Reasonable cost on data collection and actionable insights is what drives us. We want to dedicate more resources to actual safety measures, while reducing the cost of identifying the right actions.
– We greatly appreciate the support from the Research Council. Their recognition of this project allows us to develop new methods and solutions with strong innovation potential. With this support, we can accelerate our work on data-driven tools that provide objective insights – and ultimately help free up resources for concrete road safety measures, says Børge Torvik CTO at iSi.
Read more about the funding at the Research Council of Norway`s homepage.
