From Risk to Resilience: Future-Proofing Ireland’s Transport Networks

UCD Earth Institute Adapt for the Future Seminar Series III 'From Risk to Resilience: Future-Proofing Ireland’s Transport Networks'

Increasing pressures on transport systems are creating risks to the safety, reliability, and long-term performance of national transport infrastructure. Addressing these challenges requires a shift from reactive measures toward strategic, forward-looking adaptation and planning.

This seminar, Future-Proofing Ireland’s Transport Networks, brings together national policymakers, infrastructure authorities, researchers, and practitioners to examine how resilience can be systematically embedded into transport planning, investment, and operations. With a particular focus on national roads and critical transport systems, the event will showcase Ireland’s new climate adaptation implementation plan, highlight EU-funded research, and explore practical pathways from policy development to on-the-ground delivery.

Biographies

Dr Beatriz Martinez-Pastor - UCD

Dr. Beatriz Martinez-Pastor is the Director of the Critical Infrastructures Research Centre and an Assistant Professor at UCD. She specializes in the evaluation of transportation resilience and the digital transformation of transport systems.

Dr. Martinez-Pastor is the coordinator of SETO, and coordinated the CSA TRA2024 for the Dublin edition of the conference. She is the PI of NBSINFRA, the academic leader of STRADA and STRADA2—European projects developing leadership programmes for women—and the co-lead of the transport strand of the Irish project NEXSYS. She has published over 50 papers in peer-reviewed journals and conferences and was chair of the UTSG2025 Conference.

Ms Andrea Lennon - Department of Transport

Andrea Lennon is Head of Climate Adaptation, Research, and Energy at the Department of Transport, leading on the Transport Sectoral Adaptation Plan 2025- 2030.

The Transport Sectoral Adaptation Plan (T-SAPII) was co-developed with transport sector stakeholders identifying the key climate risks facing Ireland’s transport system and focussing on climate adaptation action toward future-proofing Ireland’s transport system against climate impacts that are already happening or expected. Looking at how we can reduce impacts on passenger and freight transport infrastructure and services from extreme weather, so that transport remains operational and continues to serve the public.

Dr Sangeeta Sangeeta - UCD

Dr. Sangeeta is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the School of Civil Engineering at University College Dublin, specialising in disaster risk, vulnerability, and resilience assessment of

natural and infrastructure systems. Her work focuses on multi-hazard environments, including earthquakes, landslides, and flooding, with particular emphasis on risk modelling, resilience metrics, and climate adaptation. She is currently involved in the CAPABLE and NBSINFRA projects, developing data-driven and GIS-based frameworks to assess community and infrastructure resilience under climate and hazard-induced disruptions.

She holds a PhD in Disaster Mitigation and Management from IIT Roorkee, India, where her research addressed earthquake- and rainfall-induced landslide hazard assessment in the Himalayan region. Her expertise spans hazard modelling, social vulnerability analysis, GIS and remote sensing, machine learning applications, and network-based resilience assessment for critical infrastructure and transport systems.

Mr Stephen Smyth - Senior Manager Transport Infrastructure Ireland

Senior Manager – National Road; Greenway Asset Management and Winter Services| Network Management| Transport Infrastructure Ireland|

Stephen is a Fellow of Engineers Ireland and holds a Civil Engineering degree (1996) and a Master’s in Operations Management (2013). With over 29 years’ experience, he has worked across road construction, maintenance, operations, asset management, and winter resilience. He began his career working on road construction projects before joining the National Roads Authority in 2002, initially working in standards, then becoming Engineering Inspector in 2005. Since 2016, he has served as Senior Manager in TII’s Network Management Directorate, overseeing national road and greenway asset management, protection; renewal, resilience and winter services.

Padraig O’Shea - Regional Planning Officer - Southern Regional Assembly

Regional Planning Officer (Senior Executive Planner) at the Southern Regional Assembly. Part of the regional planning team at the assembly with core areas of responsibility being to manage the Southwest Strategic Planning Area (Counties Cork and Kerry) including the Cork Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan, Economic Development, Transportation and Marine and Coastal Management. Over 20 years experience in local government and regional planning in Ireland.

Date: Tuesday, 24th February 2026

Time: Doors open from12:00 p.m.

Location: MoLI (Museum of Literature Ireland 86 Saint Stephen's Green D02 XY43 Dublin Ireland)

RSVP: Please secure your place as seating is limited.

Adapt for the Future Seminar Series

About

The UCD Earth Institute ‘Adapt for the Future’ seminar series explores the challenges, innovations, and opportunities shaping our world in the face of environmental and societal change, geopolitical conflict, global trade shifts, and emerging future trends.

This series aims to facilitate connections and reduce the gap between academia, industry, and policy-making, fostering dialogue that supports informed and collaborative responses to today’s most pressing sustainability challenges.

Bringing together researchers, thought leaders, policy-makers, private sector actors, and civil society, this forward-thinking series examines how we can adapt to build a more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive future. From transformative climate solutions and technological innovation to behavioural change and bold policy reform, each seminar invites interdisciplinary conversation on how adaptation can open new pathways for sustainability.

Each seminar will focus on a central theme while encouraging open discussion and knowledge exchange on the barriers, opportunities, and strategies for meaningful adaptation. The goal is to highlight visionary approaches that help communities, systems, and institutions respond to today’s complex sustainability challenges—while preparing for an uncertain tomorrow.

‘Adapt for the Future’ is a space for critical thinking and creative collaboration, supporting the Earth Institute’s mission to advance sustainability science, policy, and practice and innovation.

This seminar series will be held in Dublin city centre at the Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI). Please note that places are limited and early registration is advised.

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