From 25 to 29 November 2024, Jesus Palma, UIC Advisor from the Rail System Department Unit of Asset Management, Infrastructure, and TTI, participated in the 20th International Fair of Public Works in Algiers, Algeria. The invitation was extended by the National Agency for Studies and Monitoring of Railway Investment (ANESRIF), a co-organiser of the event.

Jesus Palma gave a presentation entitled “UIC General Overview and Strategy in Terms of Railway Innovations” as part of a session dedicated to railway innovation. Other speakers included Huawei, China State Construction (CSCEC), ALSTOM, the Algerian Directorate-General for Scientific Research and Technological Development (DGRSDT), the Centre for the Development of Advanced Technologies (CDTA) and the Scientific and Technical Research Centre on Arid Regions (CRSTRA).

Palma detailed the UIC Resilient Railways Projects (RERA), the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS), the Open Sales and Distribution Model (OSDM), OpenRail, Artificial Intelligence for Predictive Maintenance (AIPM), drones, SFERA, as well as other topics.

These included telecommunications, as well as innovative solutions to combat sand contamination in desertic areas, such as the Resilient Railways facing High Temperatures (RERA Temp) project on which UIC is working in partnership with ANESRIF, among others.