FORTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING – ONLINE, June 30, 2021
Over the last few months, Covid19 pandemic has brutally impacted global economy. The tunnelling industry gathered on June 30, 2021 in a virtual conference to hold the 47th General Assembly of ITA, the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association. In times of uncertainty, it was the occasion for the worldwide NGO to give an overlook on the main activities of the Association, main future events (Tunnelling week), achievements of Working Groups and committees and on future events. As planned, ITA presented the updated strategy for the new 3-year term.
MEMBER NATIONS PRESENT OR REPRESENTED
Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bhutan, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, The Netherlands, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Russia*, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States of America.
MEMBER NATIONS NOT PRESENT
Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Croatia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Lao PDR, Lesotho, Morocco, Montenegro, Myanmar, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Panama, Peru, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates*, Venezuela, Vietnam.
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
MEMBERS
Jenny Yan Jinxiu, China, President (2019-2022)
Tarcisio B. Celestino, Brazil, Past President (2019-2022)
Lars Babendererde, Germany, 1st Vice-President (2019-2022)
Randall Essex, USA, Vice-President (2019-2022)
Arnold Dix, Australia Vice-President (2019-2022)
Giuseppe Lunardi, Italy, Vice-President (2019-2022)
Abidemi Agwor, Nigeria, Member (2019-2022)
Hamdi Aydin, Turkey, Member (2019-2022)
Choi Hangseok, Korea, Member (2019-2022)
Jeyatharan Kumarasamy, Singapore Member (2019-2022)
Andres Marulanda, Colombia, Member (2019-2022)
Jamal Rostami, Iran, Member (2019-2022)
Gérard Seingre, Treasurer, Switzerland (2019-2022)
Soren Eskesen, Denmark, correspondant WTC 2021 (2018-2022)
Ioannis Fikiris, Greece, correspondent WTC 2023 (2021-2023)
Gouvernance Council :
Damian McGirr, United Kingdom (2021-2023)
Eivind Grov, Norway (2021-2023)
DECISIONS
UPCOMING EVENTS :
- Virtual ITA Awards 2021
After the success of its six editions, the ITA Awards 2021 will take place in November 2021 as a virtual event.
This year there will be 8 categories:
• MAJOR PROJECT OF THE YEAR - Over EUR 500 Million
• PROJECT OF THE YEAR - Between EUR 50 and 500 Million
• PROJECT incl. RENOVATION OF THE YEAR - Up to EUR 50 Million
• TECHNICAL INNOVATION OF THE YEAR
• BEYOND ENGINEERING - Making underground works projects even better
• ODDITIES OF THE UNDERGROUND
• INNOVATIVE AND CONTRIBUTING UNDERGROUND SPACES
• YOUNG TUNNELLER OF THE YEAR
- Tunnelling Week (20-24 September 2021)
• The Tunnelling Week will include presentation of ongoing or future projects from all over the world brought by the ITA Member Nations, conference on underground space in environmental planning, structural use of fiber reinforced concrete in precast segments, Tunnel refurbishment, Health and Safety issues as well as presentations of the latest ITA WGs and Committees publications.
• Each session (2 hours) will include, live or prerecorded presentations as well as a live debate with the panelists.
- Strategy for 2020-2023:
Climate change, pandemic, demographical growth and its management reveal the urgent need for public authorities and urban planning key players to elaborate a new strategy to tackle these challenges. Through its 2020-2023 strategy, ITA intends to solve major issues of the underground industry: pressing water, sanitation, transportation, energy and food rarefaction.
Five goals were announced:
1. Encourage Member Nations to actively develop and share technology, promote underground space and be active as a Member Nation in ITA
2. Optimize the contribution of Working Groups and Committees through facilitating interaction with Member Nations & Sponsors, encouraging synergies and deploying modern communication practices
3. Encourage further knowledge sharing through education and training
4. Enhance tunnelling and underground space awareness
5. Improve communication with Member Nations, industry and the general public.
the ITA mission. For each goal, 3 or 4 actions have been identified to be completed during the next term. Progress will be monitored and reported annually at the ITA General Assembly.
WORLD TUNNEL CONGRESS 2024
The General Assembly voted unanimously to have the ITA 50th General Assembly and WTC 2024 to take place in Shenzen, China organized by CCES.
VOTE ON MODIFICATIONS OF THE BY LAWS:
The proposed modifications about the process of WTC evaluation (Chapter 5 and Appendix) and art. 5.10.3 of ITA By-laws are accepted by the General Assembly. By-Laws 2021
REPORT OF ACTIVITY OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL:
The activities of the year 2020-2021 are presented in the Activity Report.
ITA PUBLICATIONS
The following reports have been published during the last year:
WG 3: ITA Checklist 2nd edition
WG 5: Client Org Recommendations
WG 12 / Itatech: Permanent Sprayed Concrete Linings
FUTURE WTC'S
WORLD TUNNEL CONGRESS 2022 “Underground solutions for a world in change”, from 22 to 28 April 2022 in Copenhagen Denmark
https://www.wtc2021.dk/
WORLD TUNNEL CONGRESS 2023 “Expanding underground: knowledge & passion to make a positive impact on the world”, from 12 to 18 May 2023 in Athens, Greece
https://www.WTC2023.gr
WORLD TUNNEL CONGRESS 2024: CHINA CIVIL ENGINEERING SOCIETY (CCES) will organize the World Tunnel Congress and the 50th General Assembly of the Member Nations from 19 to 25 April 2024 in Shenzhen, China.
The 2021 activity report is available here