Background of SinfraS, the Society of Infrastructure Systems

Infrastructures are vital for functioning societies. Infrastructures provide us with clean water, electricity and transportation. Societies around the world are deeply affected when infrastructure malfunctions or when infrastructure is lacking like in developing countries.

Malfunctions and outages are extremely damaging for economic growth and create widespread public dissatisfaction. Economies are highly dependant on reliable infrastructures while at the same time infrastructures have become more vulnerable through information and communication technology that has pervaded all infrastructures.

In developing countries reliable infrastructure is a necessity for survival such as reliable drinking water and sanitation. But also a new hospital is only effective if electricity is guaranteed and if people have the infrastructure to reach the hospital. For further advancement of developing countries, reliable infrastructures are key, they enable advancement.

Next Generation Infrastructures foundation

The Next Generation Infrastructures Foundation conducts research with a consortium of knowledge institutions and companies on infrastructures. Their multi disciplinary approach and vision on infrastructures is globally recognized and necessary for understanding and improving infrastructure systems. Infrastructures impact the society deeply and are therefore considered as ‘infrastructure systems’ and ‘complex networks’.

Within the programme all sectors are included, such as transport (railway, road, water and hubs) as well as telecom (cable networks, internet and other networks) and energy (electricity, gas and other renewable forms of energy). By studying all sectors in a multi disciplinary way cross sectoral learning can be enabled.

The results of the Next Generation infrastructures programme have contributed significantly to understand how ‘infrastructure systems’ work. The programme also frequently advises government and companies who plan, maintain and operate infrastructure systems.

‘Society of Infrastructure Systems’ (SinfraS)

It is the strong belief and assumption of the initiators of SinfraS, that for successful infrastructure development and implementation all perspectives of infrastructures have to be considered. Only by studying all perspectives in mutual coherence such as the economic, technical, social and managerial perspective the complexity of infrastructure systems can be understood. Only in a few places in the world such research is conducted, underlining the necessity of a society that spreads this philosophy and offers a place to all those who are involved in studying infrastructure systems.

SinfraS wants to facilitate and stimulate further advancement of multi disciplinary thinking and cross sectoral learning on infrastructure systems globally. It is our strong belief this is the only way to find answers and solutions for today’s and tomorrows global infrastructure challenges.