Greetings, anew

28 June 2023


With the covid pandemic still on the minds on many, and the economic impacts being felt still and set to continue, and with financial wobbles in the markets yet infrastructure investment sorely needed, there is a lot to come together to discuss in the forthcoming large gatherings of the industry.


In May, No-Dig brings focus to the continued – and growing – importance of trenchless and small and micro diameter tunneling. In myriad ways and places the tunneling techniques knit together urban society.

Hot on the heels of a large focus on small tunnels comes the major international gathering of the World Tunnel Congress, this year in Athens, Greece. Much discussion will be had on many wide-ranging topics, including trenchless works, but also taking into account the recognition and promotion of using underground space at all scales for the use and benefit of societies – everywhere.

In North America, in mid-June, a deep technical focus on a vast range of tunneling topics will be on offer in Boston, MA, where the Rapid Excavation and Tunneling Conference (RETC 2023) will take place, organised by the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME).

As Summer gives way to Fall, a host of regional and topic-focused further tunneling industry events are scheduled – such as Tunnelling Association of Canada’s conference in September (TAC 2023), and meetings in Sweden, France, Germany and Singapore. And more.

Opportunities to share.

But not all to be technical in those enjoyable discussions. For the works need to be paid for – or rather, invested in. Or, rather still – understood to be needed and beneficial to all.

Perspective. Belief. Understanding the economic rationale for infrastructure, its subset of construction, and across many industries the services brought by those in supply chains the bring the possibilities of using underground space to reality.

There is a case for understanding infrastructure economics, and finance, more acutely. To engage with those who hold the chequebooks.