Highways Voices: Talking Roads and Transport Technology innovation

Paul Hutton
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The Highways Voices podcast is a must-listen for professionals in the Highways and Transport Technology industries covering construction, maintenance, Intelligent Transport Systems and Public Transportation. Presented by leading journalists Paul Hutton and Adrian Tatum, you’ll hear industry leaders sharing insights you won’t hear anywhere else, giving you a taste of the latest thinking about the sector's new techniques and technologies, collaborations and innovations. All in the time it takes for an average daily commute (or dog walk!). We bring you keynote-speaker quality guests into your phone or laptop, ensuring every time you listen you’ll learn something new you can use in your day-to-day job. Plus, you'll catch up with the top stories from the daily newsletters sent by Highways-News.com and hear the latest from our podcast partners LCRIG, the TTF, ADEPT and ITS UK.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    Tyres that talk back: Connected vehicles' real-time network intelligence

    In this week’s Highways Voices we discover how connected vehicle data is transforming the way we understand and manage our roads Industry veteran Steve Isaacs is Paul Hutton’s guest to explore an innovative solution from Swedish firm Nira Dynamics, using data from hundreds of thousands of Volkswagen Group vehicles to deliver real-time insights into road conditions. Subscribe to Highways Voices on your favourite podcast platform and never miss an episode. By measuring friction where the tyre meets the road, this technology can identify hazards like standing water, ice, and snow as they happen, offering a powerful new tool for highway authorities. From smarter winter maintenance and reduced salt usage to proactive drainage and asset management, Steve Isaacs explains how the potential benefits are significant. With continuous, network-wide monitoring replacing traditional one-off surveys, this could mark a step-change in efficiency, safety, and cost-effectiveness. Listen now to get a fascinating look at how everyday vehicle data can unlock unprecedented visibility of the road network. Highways Voices is brought to you with our podcast partners the Transport Technology Forum, LCRIG, ITS UK and ADEPT.

    23 min

  2. 29 APR

    Highways Voices from Istanbul: Industry insights build momentum for Birmingham 2027

    Here’s our third episode of Highways Voices the ITS European Congress in Istanbul, and today there’s a clear eye on the future, as anticipation builds for the ITS World Congress in Birmingham 2027. Host Paul Hutton brings together a mix of expert insight, industry conversation and on-the-ground perspective from one of the sector’s key global gatherings. At the heart of the episode is a thoughtful overview from Chief Rapporteur Professor Eric Sampson, who distils the major themes emerging from the Congress. From data-driven safety management and inclusive mobility design, to the challenges of integrating transport modes and scaling up autonomous vehicle deployment, his reflections highlight both how far the industry has come, and how much work still lies ahead. Subscribe to Highways Voices on your favourite podcast platform and never miss an episode. There’s a strong sense that intelligent transport systems are evolving rapidly, but not always smoothly. Discussions around user behaviour, equity, and affordability underline the importance of designing solutions that work for real people, while innovations in logistics, like remotely assisted electric delivery vehicles, show how technology is tackling urban challenges in new ways. At the same time, big questions remain, particularly around the business case and real-world impact of autonomous vehicles. Away from the conference sessions, the podcast captures the buzz of the exhibition floor and the value of international collaboration. A chance encounter with industry expert Neil Levett reveals how traditional civil engineering and cutting-edge technology are increasingly converging, with innovations like fibre-optic traffic monitoring systems pointing to a safer, more efficient future. The episode also explores the wider economic and social value of the ITS sector. ITS UK CEO Max Sugarman shares his research showing the industry is worth far more than previously thought, supporting tens of thousands of jobs and delivering significant economic impact, while also highlighting efforts to inspire the next generation. Running throughout the podcast is a growing excitement about what comes next, with strong international interest already building for Birmingham 2027, and you’ll hear lots about this, plus get a flavour of a special reception for UK companies with the local British Chamber of Commerce. Overall, this episode is a compelling snapshot of a sector full of innovation, collaboration and ambition, and a great way to get a feel for the conversations shaping the future of transport. For additional information about Birmingham 2027 or to make enquiries and bookings, interested parties are invited to contact salescongress@mail.ertico.com or go to: https://2027.itsworldcongress.com/ Jordan Cowley – Jordan.Cowley@tfwm.org.uk Jasvinder Sidhu – j.sidhu@ertico.mail.com Highways Voices is brought to you with our podcast partners the Transport Technology Forum, LCRIG, ITS UK and ADEPT.

    25 min

  3. 28 APR

    The tech exists, so how do we make connected roads happen?

    Connected vehicle technology is no longer a future concept, it’s already embedded in the cars people drive and the networks we operate. So why does deployment still feel slow and fragmented? Recorded at the ITS European Congress in Istanbul, this panel discussion focuses on the real challenge facing the sector: how to move from capability to widespread implementation. Bringing together leaders from government, industry and local authorities, the discussion explores what’s holding progress back, and what’s starting to unlock it. Subscribe to Highways Voices on your favourite podcast platform and never miss an episode. Hear from: Joost Vantomme, CEO of ERTICO – ITS EuropeDarren Capes, Head of Road Infrastructure Technology at the Department for TransportKerry Winstanley, Managing Director of LCRIGMax Sugarman, CEO of ITS UK Their message is clear: the technology largely exists, deployment is the challenge. Highways Voices is brought to you with our podcast partners the Transport Technology Forum, LCRIG, ITS UK and ADEPT.

    28 min

  4. 27 APR

    ITS European Congress: Ten voices driving innovation on today's UK Pavilion "pitwalk"

    We’re in Istanbul for the 2026 ITS European Congress this week, and we kick off our series of podcasts with our “pitwalk”, where we chat to the exhibitors on the UK Pavilion. Subscribe to Highways Voices on your favourite podcast platform and never miss an episode. Paul Hutton talks to ten guests in 25 minutes to underline to you how, from AI-powered cameras to radar-based incident detection, there’s a huge amount of innovation here and now across the sector and that, more and more, data and AI are at the heart of modern mobility. Our guests are: Inada Penman, AECOMNora Ali, Clearview IntelligenceMurat Hayri Serafettinoglu, Fides (Clearview’s Turkish partner)Giorgio Potenza, AGD SystemsHelen Garrett, MAV SystemsThomas Greene, Q-FreeLuis Miranda Hevia, Q-FreeGraham Jennings, Navtech RadarRichard Owen, AgilysisJordan Cowley, Transport for West Midlands You’ll hear how collaboration is driving progress globally, with our UK companies working closely with international partners, sharing expertise and scaling solutions across borders.This highlights how connected the ITS ecosystem has become, and this isn’t stuff of the future, it’s here and now and making our lives better. Highways Voices is brought to you with our podcast partners the Transport Technology Forum, LCRIG, ITS UK and ADEPT.

    27 min

  5. 21 APR

    More women, better performance: The communication shift in bus operations

    Today on Highways Voices we find out how improving performance in an industry can come down to an overlooked skill – communication. For decision makers in highways and transport operations, maintaining reliable, customer-focused services while hitting performance targets is a constant challenge. Subscribe to Highways Voices on your favourite podcast platform and never miss an episode. So this episode explores how a shift in recruitment strategy, focusing on communication and customer service skills rather than traditional operational backgrounds, and how it’s helping one operation reduce complaints and improve relationships between different staff members. We’re talking to Annette Pratten-Lane, Control Centre Manager at Arriva’s Purley Way bus hub in London, whose rethink of recruitment strategy has led to a fourfold increase in female controllers – rising from 5% to 20% – by targeting candidates with strong communication skills rather than traditional bus industry experience. Reflecting wider industry efforts supported by the organisation Women in Bus and Coach, she’s explained to Paul Hutton how diversifying your workforce can directly improve operational performance and reduce customer complaints In today’s episode you’ll learn why communication skills, and not a technical background, are becoming the most critical asset in control room environments and see how fresh perspectives from outside the industry can challenge outdated practices and drive better outcomes Highways Voices is brought to you with our podcast partners the Transport Technology Forum, LCRIG, ITS UK and ADEPT.

    23 min

  6. 14 APR

    AI, cyber threats and a changing industry: SWARCO's CEO’s unfiltered view

    This week’s Highways Voices features one of the most important people in the highways and transport technology industries - Michael Schuch, the CEO of SWARCO. He sat down with Paul Hutton for an in-depth chat about the industry during Intertraffic Amsterdam and they discussed sustainability, the challenges around, and the state of the industry globally, plus, of course, AI and cyber security. Subscribe to Highways Voices free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or Pocket Casts and never miss an episode! By listening to this podcast you’ll hear an industry leader explain why, while sustainability might not be grabbing the headlines as often these days, for SWARCO, it’s a non-negotiable.You’ll also hear why many of the biggest challenges in our industry aren’t about the technology at all, they’re about the systems around it and why mobility in the 2020s is definitely about making better use of what we’ve already got. This isn’t the sort of podcast you get elsewhere where someone tells you how great his company is, it’s about a real piece of thought leadership about our industry and where it’s heading. Highways Voices is brought to you with our partners the Transport Technology Forum, LCRIG, ADEPT and ITS UK.

    26 min

  7. 7 APR

    The Missing Link: Solving a 50-year transport challenge

    Today on Highways Voices we visit the site of one of the UK's largest infrastructure projects, and one with a very interesting back story. The A417 Missing Link project in Gloucestershire has been covered quite often on Highways News, so now with construction work at a critical phase, Kevin Borras visited the project office in Birdlip to talk to National Highways, Kier Transportation and Prolectric about some of the unique and fascinating elements of the £460m road that, when it's finished, will link Brockworth and Cowley via a new, three-mile long dual carriageway. Aiming to reduce congestion and improve connectivity between the Midlands and the South, the project also includes the construction of a new junction and green bridges, with completion scheduled for spring 2027 - all with making as little environmental impact as possible a key priority. But why was it missing in the first place? Subscribe to Highways Voices free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts or Pocket Casts and never miss an episode! We hear from National Highways' A417 Missing Link Senior Project Manager Celine Acard, Kier Transportation's Senior Project Manager Nick Williams and from Kathryn Adams, Director of Product for Prolectric, the company responsible for the project hitting its environmental targets, thanks to its use of renewable energy. You'll find out why the link was never built, how public engagement was used so smartly, how the unprecedented low carbon targets are being met, why the sustainability angle was deemed so important and how the needs and requirements of cows and bats were also part of the enormous equation. Highways Voices is brought to you with our partners the Transport Technology Forum, LCRIG, ADEPT and ITS UK.

    40 min
  8. From automated pods to invisible payments: more insights shaping our roads from Intertraffic Amsterdam thanks to SWARCO, Westcotec, TRL and AGD Systems

    31 MAR

    From automated pods to invisible payments: more insights shaping our roads from Intertraffic Amsterdam thanks to SWARCO, Westcotec, TRL and AGD Systems

    In this final bonus episode of Highways Voices from Intertraffic Amsterdam 2026, we bring you more conversations highlighting how innovation is already transforming transport systems, from airports to urban streets. We hear how automated vehicles are moving staff around Schiphol Airport and pointing towards scalable platooned transport systems, while in cities, attention turns to logistics, where better freight access depends on political will, collaboration and smarter use of data to manage limited curb space and support more liveable environments. You’ll hear how parking is heading towards frictionless, invisible payments, while innovations like solar road studs show how infrastructure can be both safer and more sustainable. Podcasts from Intertraffic are sponsored by SWARCO, Westcotec, AGD Systems and TRL. Across the sector, data is the common thread. From market intelligence shaping strategy to real-time and predictive analytics improving traffic management, better insights are driving better decisions. Meanwhile, new sensing technologies, from fibre-optic monitoring to thermal detection, are enhancing safety, efficiency and resilience across the network. From automation and analytics to safety and sustainability, this episode underlines how the transport sector is moving beyond ideas into real-world deployment, and delivering smarter, safer and more efficient networks today. Our guests are: Joost Ortjens - Director of EMEA and Corporate Development, OhmioDaniel Herrera Meek – Project and Parking Working Group Manager, POLISTom Hedman – Vice President, Sales, BillogramRalph Bates – Head of Business Development (England & Wales), Clearview IntelligenceSabine Röttgen – Market Intelligence, JenoptikRalf-Peter Schäfer – VP Product Management, Traffic & Travel Information, TomTomMatt Smith – National Technology Manager, Kier InfrastructureStefaan Pinck – VP Business Development (Traffic Solutions), FLIR Check out Highways News’s new TikTok channel here. Subscribe to Highways Voices free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts or Pocket Casts and never miss an episode!

    48 min
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About

The Highways Voices podcast is a must-listen for professionals in the Highways and Transport Technology industries covering construction, maintenance, Intelligent Transport Systems and Public Transportation. Presented by leading journalists Paul Hutton and Adrian Tatum, you’ll hear industry leaders sharing insights you won’t hear anywhere else, giving you a taste of the latest thinking about the sector's new techniques and technologies, collaborations and innovations. All in the time it takes for an average daily commute (or dog walk!). We bring you keynote-speaker quality guests into your phone or laptop, ensuring every time you listen you’ll learn something new you can use in your day-to-day job. Plus, you'll catch up with the top stories from the daily newsletters sent by Highways-News.com and hear the latest from our podcast partners LCRIG, the TTF, ADEPT and ITS UK.

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