Transforming Infrastructure with Cloud: Enabling Intelligence and Decarbonization

Explore the intersection of cloud technology and sustainable infrastructure in this keynote session. Discover how cloud solutions facilitate smart infrastructure, decarbonization, and resilience while reducing costs and ensuring global connectivity. Learn about the potential for a more sustainable, intelligent, and interconnected world through the power of the cloud. 

SPEAKER:

• Ahmed Ameen Ashour, Chief Sustainability Commercial Officer, Microsoft

Decarbonizing the Construction Sector: Building Better Infrastructure… Better

​Going digital has a key role to play in sustainable development goals during this decisive Decade of Action on climate change. We will discuss how digital twins can combine technologies—such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things—to support the implementation of essential sustainability principles and help us move toward infrastructure intelligence, all while dramatically accelerating decarbonization while reducing costs, even in hard-to-abate sectors. We will also explore the benefits and difficulties of adopting an open ecosystem collaboration for filling the gaps and infrastructure challenges.

MODERATOR:

• Mark Coates, Senior International Director, Infrastructure Policy Advancement, Bentley Systems

SPEAKER:

• Rodrigo Fernandes, Director, ES(D)G, Bentley Systems
• Mark Hansford, Director of Engineering Knowledge, ICE
• Prof. (Dr) Anusha Shah, President, Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)

Empowering Interoperable Urban Ecosystems for Sustainability  

The challenges facing urban areas are immense. Increasing population density, climate change, air pollution, congestion, and inequality are just some of the issues that need to be tackled. The necessary double transition requires strong collaboration capabilities to fuel innovation in urban ecosystems. It is not easy to decarbonize city infrastructure projects, improve mobility, and adopt circular approaches to water and waste that move toward more efficient energy usage, diversified energy production, and resilient and decentralized energy distribution. The more complex that the city becomes, the more challenging it is to manage and coordinate city-scale infrastructure projects, assets, and all associated data.
 
This session will showcase and discuss how open data, open standards, and cloud-based infrastructure digital twins can support intelligent infrastructure toward better urban planning and management, increased stakeholder experience, engagement, and innovation. The approach covers similar industry segments, such as regions, campuses, facilities, airports, or ports. 

MODERATOR:

• Debabrata Chakraborty, Senior Regional Director, MEA & Turkey, Bentley Systems

SPEAKER:

• Richard J. Vestner, Vice President, Cities, Bentley Systems 
• Davide Cassanmagnago, Senior Manager Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement, GCoM

Powering the Future: Energy Diversification and Advanced Grid Infrastructure 

One of our biggest societal challenges and global goals—to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the mid-century—is accelerating the transition to low-carbon energy sources, ensuring universal access to sustainable and affordable electricity and substantially increasing the production of renewable energy across the world. Diversifying energy sources is key in winning the climate race: we will need to combine all renewable sources—from solar, geothermal, wind, and hydroelectric power— to generate enough low-carbon energy to power our world.  

Mature digital twin technologies for clean energy transition with solar, wind, and geothermal sources are already available today and can count for an efficient pathway to reach the desired outcomes quickly, reduce cost and risk by accelerating innovation toward clean energy. In this session, we will discuss how these technologies for large-scale energy production, electric transmission, and distribution are aiding the shift to net zero through digitization. 

As the global transition to clean energy gathers pace, minerals and metals are essential for clean energy technologies. Still, their rapidly increasing demand and geographically concentrated supply pose challenges. 

MODERATOR:

• Mark Coates, Senior International Director, Infrastructure Policy Advancement, Bentley Systems

SPEAKER:

• Mark Biagi, Senior Director, Energy Solutions, Bentley Systems  
• Rodrigo Fernandes, Director, ES(D)G, Bentley Systems 
• Thomas D. Krom, Segment Director, Environment, Seequent, The Bentley Subsurface Company 
• Christian Spano, Director of Innovation, ICMM

Climate Change Is Water Change: Building a Roadmap to Navigate Uncharted Waters

The water infrastructure sector will account for over 50% of global climate adaptation costs. Simultaneously, half of the worldwide population does not have access to drinking water or lives in water-stressed countries. By 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population may face water shortages. With the number of people living in urban areas increasing, cities are urged to find smart ways to manage urban water.

Water digital twins can be used as holistic, efficient, data-driven solutions to adapt and reduce climate-related water quantity issues with better-informed decisions in planning, designing, and operational stages. Data-driven technologies can also be used for mapping groundwater and groundwater protection, identifying contamination issues that include saltwater intrusion and natural and managed aquifer recharge.

During this session, we will explore the above technologies, as well as discuss the needed balance between exploring or treating new water resources vs. reducing inefficiencies in existing infrastructure.

MODERATOR:

• Mark Coates, Senior International Director, Infrastructure Policy Advancement, Bentley Systems

SPEAKER:

• Thomas D. Krom, Segment Director, Environment, Seequent, The Bentley Subsurface Company
• Savina Carluccio, Executive Director, International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure (ICSI)