ITA-AITES

🎉We are proud to announce that the ITA LinkedIn page has reached 10,000 followers. This achievement marks an important milestone for our institution and reflects the growing interest and trust of our community. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to all those who follow, engage with, and support ITA. Thank you for being part of our journey. #ITA #Milestone #Community

🏆 Celebrating global excellence in Underground Engineering: ITA-AITES Tunnelling Awards 2025 🏆 The ITA Tunnelling Awards 2025, held on October 1st in Belgrade 🇷🇸 during the SETC-2025 Conference, once again recognised outstanding achievements in underground engineering under the theme “Shaping the Future of Tunnelling.” This year, more than 51 entries from 27 countries competed across 7 categories, showcasing the world’s most innovative and sustainable underground projects. 🏅 Key Winners Young Tunneller of the Year 🥇 Aida Santos 🇪🇸 & Andrea Marchioni 🇮🇹 🥉 Helena Castellvi Linde 🇪🇸 Major Project of the Year (over €500 M) 🥇 Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link Immersed Tunnel 🇨🇳 Project of the Year (€100 M – €500 M) 🥇 Yangzong Tunnel (Yunnan) 🇨🇳 Project of the Year (up to €100 M) 🥇 Hongyancun Station, Chongqing 🇨🇳 Technical Innovation of the Year 🥇 Ultra-low-carbon concrete segments with metakaolin – Toulouse Metro Line B connection 🇫🇷 Product / Equipment Innovation 🥇 Rail-less transport system for large-diameter and long-reach TBM tunnels 🇨🇳 Elevated Thinking Underground: Shaping the Future 🥇 Venizelou Metro Station, Thessaloniki 🇬🇷 It’s truly inspiring to see young professionals leading the way in the tunnelling industry. These recognitions show how much energy, creativity, and technical excellence the next generation is bringing to our underground world. See you next year in Portugal 🇵🇹, hosted by CPT - Comissão Portuguesa de Túneis e do Espaço Subterrâneo ! #Tunnelling #Engineering #Innovation #Sustainability #ITAAwards #UndergroundEngineering #YoungTunnellers #ITAYM

🌍 International Collaboration for Safe Radioactive Waste Storage On Friday, 26 September, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA-AITES) met in Vienna. The IAEA delegation, led by Olena Mykolaichuk, Director of the Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology,  — together with Gerald Niederwestermann, IAEA Officer and Scientific Secretary; Karina Lange, Scientific Secretary for the IAEA’s Underground Research Facilities Network; and Stefan Mayer, Team Leader of the Waste Technology Section, met with Daniel Garbutt, Arnold Dix, Helen Roth, and Pigorini Andrea from ITA to explore future collaboration in the development of Geological Disposal Facilities (GDFs) for higher-activity radioactive waste. 🤝 This collaboration builds upon recent IAEA work, developed with support from ITA, aimed at facilitating the transition from surface investigations to underground access for these critical infrastructures. In this context, ITA has launched a dedicated special interest group in cooperation with the IAEA to better understand technical requirements and share global expertise in underground engineering, providing Member States with the support needed to design and maintain these facilities safely. 🌱 The initiative emphasizes integrating scientific, technical, and socio-political aspects, fostering cross-border knowledge exchange, and promoting best practices in underground construction. ITA Past President Arnold Dix has been appointed Chair of the group, bringing his experience and leadership to this essential effort. ITA and IAEA remain committed to delivering safe and sustainable underground solutions, protecting current and future generations. 🔗 Read the full press release here: https://lnkd.in/d_8Vb5Ui #GDF #WasteManagement #UndergroundEngineering #SustainableInfrastructure #NuclearSafety #InternationalCollaboration

🏆 A big congratulations to the winner of the #ITATunnellingAwards2025 in the “Major Project of the Year (over €500M)” category — the Shenzhen–Zhongshan Link Immersed Tunnel in China! 🇨🇳 🔎 Spanning the Lingdingyang Sea of the Pearl River Estuary, this 24 km, eight-lane expressway integrates bridges, manmade islands, immersed tube tunnelling, and underwater interchanges. The 5 km long immersed tube between the artificial islands is one of the widest in the world, measuring 46–55.46 m wide, and comprises 32 tunnel elements, each 165 m long × 10.6 m high and weighing around 80,000 tons. To accommodate the stress of large-span structures and minimize dredging, the immersed tube uses a steel shell–concrete composite structure, reducing the cross-section height by 1.6 m compared to conventional reinforced concrete. Within the €1.4146 billion project, the €1.3463 billion design, construction, and sinking of the immersed tube elements represented the most complex and challenging part of the project, with the 7.5-year construction period being hit by 20 typhoons. Despite these extreme conditions, there were no casualties and no damage to shipping. Your innovative approach, outstanding engineering, and dedication to pushing the boundaries of tunnelling technology inspire us all. 🌍✨ 👏 Once again, congratulations to the entire team behind this extraordinary achievement!

📢 ITA is hiring! A 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀   Are you ready to shape the future of communication for a global organisation? Then welcome to ITA-AITES.   The successful candidate will combine vision with execution and oversee editorial quality, strengthen stakeholder engagement, and elevate ITA’s presence at exhibitions and industry events. As an applicant you thrive on growth and bring creative energy to traditional and unconventional communication platforms. We offer freedom, trust, and the space to think differently.   If you’re driven by ITA’s mission and ready to inspire action through results, we want to hear from you. 👉 Click to access the job listing. 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝟯𝟭𝘀𝘁 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱  https://lnkd.in/duh98UgC

✨And the winners are... ✨ We are proud to announce the Gold winners of the ITA Tunnelling Awards 2025 🏆👏 A huge congratulations to all the awardees for their outstanding achievements and contributions to the tunnelling and underground space industry. 🏆Major Project of the Year (over €500M): Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link Immersed Tunnel, China 🏆Project of the Year (between €100M and 500M): Yangzong Tunnel of the Kunming (Fude Overpass) - Yiliang Expressway in Yunnan Province, China 🏆Project of the Year (up to €100M) : Hongyancun Station of Chongqing Rail Transit Line 9, China 🏆Technical Innovation of the Year: A World First on Toulouse Metro Line B Connection: Very Low-Carbon Concrete Segments with Metakaolin, France 🏆Product/Equipement Innovation of the Year : Trackless Transportation System for Large-diameter and Super-long TBM-bored Tunnels, China 🏆Elevated Thinking Underground: Shaping the Future : Venizelou Metro Station Thessaloniki, Greece 🏆Young Tunneller of the Year :  (co-winners) Andrea Marchioni, Italy & Aida Santos Santamaria, Spain A huge congratulations to all the winners and finalists ! We also want to warmly thank all participants, nominees, jury members, and attendees for making this edition such a success. Your passion and innovation continue to drive our industry forward! 🌍 Together, we are building the future underground. #ITATunnellingAwards #Winners #Tunnelling #UndergroundSpace #Innovation

🚀 Registrations for the World Tunnel Congress 2026 are now open! A unique gathering of tunnel and underground construction professionals from around the world. 🌍🛠️

✨ Official opening this morning of the ITA Tunnelling Awards 2025 at the Sava Center in Belgrade! A unique moment bringing together industry leaders and experts to celebrate innovation, excellence, and the sharing of ideas. 📌 On the programme: presentations from all finalists, showcased through dedicated round tables, encouraging exchanges and discussions around their projects and achievements. 🌟 Tonight, the award ceremony will take place, recognising the finalists in all categories, followed by a gala dinner to celebrate their achievements. 🎤 An unmissable event under the banner of innovation and excellence! Sanja Zlatanic, Pigorini Andrea, Nick Chittenden, Ioannis Fikiris, Damian McGirr, Zang Zhiguo, Jenny Yan, Klaus Rieker, Helen Roth #ITAAwards #Belgrade #SavaCentar #Innovation #Excellence

🚀 Join us for the opening of the #ITATunnellingAwards2025 and Southeastern Europe Tunnelling Conference (SETC-2025) 2025 in Belgrade, taking place from October 1st to 3rd, 2025, at the Sava Centre in Belgrade! 🚀 We are pleased to announce that tomorrow, October 1st, 2025, the SETC 2025 conference and the ITA Tunnelling Awards ceremony will officially begin. The ITA Tunnelling Awards is a global event that brings together leading experts, designers, and contractors from around the world. Beyond showcasing the latest projects and innovations in tunnels and underground structures, the awards represent the most prestigious recognition in the tunnelling industry, highlighting outstanding achievements and fostering global development and innovation. This event is your opportunity to be part of a landmark occasion. Don’t miss out—join us in Belgrade to celebrate the best in the world of tunnelling! 🔗 More information: https://lnkd.in/d-mCprS #ITATunnellingAwards2025 #SETC2025 #TunnelInnovation #UndergroundSpace #FutureOfTunnelling