The Road Infrastructure and Sustainable Urban Development (IRAUD) Chair is an academic chair dedicated to innovation and the sustainable transformation of mobility infrastructure.
Created in 2021 through a joint initiative by Routes de France and ESTP, the IRAUD Chair builds on the school’s historic core expertise: training engineers for the road infrastructure sector.
Its mission is to modernize both the image and practices of the road sector by fully integrating climate, environmental, digital and societal challenges.
The IRAUD Chair pursues three main objectives:
Reaffirm the strategic role of road infrastructure in mobility and sustainable regional development;
Enhance the sector’s attractiveness among students and future engineers;
Integrate new technologies and emerging uses into teaching and training.
The IRAUD Chair works to reposition road infrastructure as a modern, innovative and strategic field.
It highlights its key role in:
Transport systems and new mobility solutions;
Energy transition and energy-positive roads;
Public space planning;
The infrastructure of tomorrow.
The Chair also contributes to promoting French expertise and know-how among younger generations
The IRAUD Chair strengthens road infrastructure education within the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Planning and Environment by:
Developing applied project-based learning;
Enriching courses with new knowledge areas;
Redesigning a 200-hour third-year specialization focused on mobility infrastructure;
Integrating climate, environmental and digital transitions into student projects.
This approach is transdisciplinary, with an international dimension and a strong focus on project management
The IRAUD Chair addresses the diversification of road usage, including:
Active mobility;
Decarbonised and shared mobility;
Connected and autonomous vehicles;
Sustainable urban development.
From the first year, students are introduced to innovation through the ROAD INNOVATION Digital track, based on real-life case studies and sector challenges, notably the Mobility Infrastructure Stakeholders’ Commitment Pact led by IDRRIM.
The Chair takes concrete action by:
Strengthening project-based learning applied to road infrastructure;
Actively contributing to the Research track through PIERs on key themes led by Routes de France;
Creating the ROAD INNOVATION Digital pathway from the first year;
Redesigning a 200-hour third-year specialization integrating:
Investigation studies;
Various transport modes and urban development projects;
Climate, environmental and digital transitions;
Project management.
The IRAUD Chair is supported by Routes de France and its 11 member companies: Braja Vesigne, Colas, Eiffage Route, Charier, Spie batignolles – Spie batignolles malet, Roger Martin, Eurovia France, Groupe Le Foll, Groupe Pigeon, NGE, Razel-Bec.
Mohammed NOUALI
Head of the IRAUD Chair
Email: mnouali@estp.fr
Sébald TURPIN
Ecological Transition Project Manage – Routes de France
Email: sebald.turpin@routesdefrance.com
