Innovations And Emerging Technologies For Uncertain Future

Day 2, 18 March 2021, 1430 – 1540 IST

Session Annotation:

The ICDRI session will explore two fundamental aspects of leveraging innovations:

i) Need and significance of innovations and emerging technologies in the context of disaster resilient infrastructure (DRI); and

ii) Harnessing the potential of disruptive innovations in the field of DRI?

The session will begin with a two-minute video highlighting the enormous potential of innovations and emerging technology for building resilience infrastructure. This will be followed by a keynote address to outline the contours of innovations and emerging technologies in general, and how these can address the three pillars of infrastructure resilience: i) assessment, ii) preparedness, and iii) building back better, with specific focus on the system innovations needed to address the challenges of DRI.

To highlight the potential of disruptive technologies in solving the problems of DRI, three innovative technologies will also be presented. This will be followed by a special address, a panel discussion with audience Q&A, and a closing note by the moderator. The session will include a few audience polls to gather audience feedback.

Session Overview:

The world is witnessing unprecedented occurrences and impacts of disasters, leading to an uncertain future. Breakthrough innovations and judicious adoption of emerging technologies – whose science, development, and applications are largely unutilised, but which have immense scope and potential – could help us face these disasters.

Recent technological innovations encompass applications of augmented reality, GIS, GPS, remote imaging, drones and unmanned aerial vehicles, nanotechnology, advance materials, computer assisted designing and modelling, 3D printing, big data and data mining, Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, Industry 4.0, blockchains, and so forth. On the other hand, innovations are also taking place on non-technology issues such as organizational change, policies for administration and governance, capacity development, and financing mechanisms (system innovations). Both sets of innovations are critical to build resilient infrastructure as they prepare us not only to face disasters more effectively with minimum loss and damage, but also give us the capability us to solve challenges quickly. Thus, innovations can aid rapid recovery and restoration, as well as support build back better and faster.

With this context, and to engage a wide range of stakeholders, ICDRI session on ‘Innovation and Emerging Technologies’ discusses:

  • How governments and communities can harness system and technological innovations to disaster proof existing and future infrastructure;
  • Identify promising disruptive innovations and emerging technologies for designing and building resilient infrastructures, with emphasis on making them accessible, affordable and adaptable; and;
  • Challenges and enablers of innovation ecosystem; and avenues for CDRI and its members to promote it.

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