The International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association launches the 3rd edition of the ITA Tunnelling Awards!

Lausanne, 06th April, 2017.-  As the saying goes, “all good things come in threes” and that is particularly apt knowing the upcoming edition of the ITA Awards will be the 3rd to be launched since the ITA decided to create the event in 2015 and, for this edition, to create 3 new categories! In 2017, the event will take place in Paris, on 15th November, during the AFTES (French Association of Tunnelling and Underground Space) congress.

A world-class Tunnelling event:

After two successful editions in Switzerland and Singapore, the ITA Tunnelling Awards is becoming an international standard for the tunnelling world.  The two first editions of the ITA Tunnelling Awards received more than 200 entries and 64 nominations, rewarded 21 projects and personalities and gathered more than 450 attendees.

The 2017 edition:

The application process is now open and candidacies can be registered until May 30th, in the ITA Tunnelling Awards website: https://awards.ita-aites.org/

This year, entries can be submitted in 9 categories, 6 permanent and 3 new categories:

Nominations for the following categories must contain projects for which the major civil engineering work was completed between 1st January 2015 and 1st April 2017.

The Young Tunneller of the Year rewards an individual born on/after the 1st July 1982 and who has brought an outstanding contribution to tunnelling.

•             Major Project of the Year - over 500€ million

•             Project of the Year  - between €50 million and €500 million

•             Project of the Year - (up to €50 million)

•             Technical Project Innovation of the Year

•             Technical Product or Equipment innovation of the Year

•             Sustainability initiative of the Year

•             Safety Initiative of the Year

•             Innovative Use of Underground Space

•             Young Tunneller of the Year

•             Life Time Achievement Award (application not required)

A third edition with 3 new categories:

For the third edition, ITA adds three new categories for nominations:

•             The Technical Project Innovation of the Year:

Candidates can register their entries if the project both advances the current best practices or new product or equipment specifications, and also improves and increases the application of equipment and materials.

•             The Technical Product or Equipment Innovation of the Year :

This category includes technical product/equipment innovations which both advance the current “state of the art” or new product/equipment, and also improve and increase the application of equipment and materials.

•             The Sustainability Initiative:

The entries for this last new category will illustrate the use of unique and novel approaches to underground works that provide sustainable solutions.

About the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association:

The International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA) is a non -profit and non-governmental international organization, which aims at promoting the use of underground space as a solution to sustainable development. Founded in 1974 and operating out of Lausanne, Switzerland, ITA currently has 73 Member Nations, 300 affiliated members, 17 Prime Sponsors and 60 supporters.