In a groundbreaking partnership, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and ORIS, the first construction materials platform for low impact infrastructure, have signed a Cooperation Project Agreement.
This agreement aims to create a unique and innovative program for rural roads, with a focus on developing sustainable and inclusive secondary road networks in developing countries.
Roads play a vital role in the transportation of people and goods. Research indicates that infrastructure limitations can significantly hinder productivity in developing countries, affecting access to healthcare, markets, and business opportunities.
However, the development of rural roads has the potential to transform rural and vulnerable communities by providing them with safer and more efficient trading routes.
Together, UNIDO and ORIS are committed to transforming rural communities by providing them with safer and more durable trading routes.
The agreement was officially signed on the margins of the celebration commemorating the 75th anniversary of the International Road Federation (IRF), which took place in Vienna at the end of June.
ORIS’s innovative digital tools for assessing the impact of road networks will be implemented in partner countries to optimize large-scale infrastructure projects.
By utilizing advanced digital services, including data science and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, ORIS will identify opportunities for cost-efficiency improvements, while simultaneously enhancing quality and sustainability.
This optimization process will result in significant financial savings and reduced environmental impacts.
The resulting savings will be channeled into a Rural Road Fund, supported by UNIDO and international donors.
The Fund will be dedicated to building sustainable and inclusive rural roads in partnering countries.
In collaboration with governments in selected countries, UNIDO will identify project portfolios that require rural connectivity along agro-industrial road corridors to be optimized.
The Rural Road Fund will benefit from public, private, and financial partners’ support. If you wish to join, you can get in touch.
Build in Digital Stakeholder ORIS is a construction materials platform for a smart use of resources and low impact infrastructure.
Read next: How Aecom & ORIS used digitalisation to deliver sustainable road infrastructure design
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