This year’s FIBE2 Annual Conference is proudly organised by Cohort 5, who have curated a dynamic and forward‑looking programme around the theme:
Resilient Infrastructure for a Sustainable & Equitable Future (RISE)
Exploring the research shaping tomorrow’s infrastructure.
The 2026 conference brings together academics, industry leaders, practitioners, and innovators to reimagine how infrastructure can evolve in response to intensifying climate pressures, shifting societal needs, and rapid technological change.
The first Keynote Speaker, Sun Yan Evans will give a talk on RISE by Design: Infrastructure People Can Trust. Sun Yan Evans is an internationally recognised expert in flood risk and water quality modelling. As Flood Risk and Water Quality Director, former Global Practice Leader, and Mott MacDonald's inaugural Fellow, she has led specialist teams and major projects across more than 25 countries. Her pioneering work in dam breach modelling, hazard mapping, and smart overtopping assessment has shaped national and international guidelines for organisations including the UK government and the World Bank. She has published over 40 technical papers, contributed to ICE reports, co‑authored books and guidelines, and provided expert evidence for public inquiries and high-profile cases. Sun Yan’s contributions have earned her more than 20 industry awards, including the Women in Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management award.
The second Keynote Speaker, Dr Mehran Eskandari Torbaghan, lecturer in Infrastructure Asset Management at the Department of Civil Engineering, will deliver a talk on Data-driven Holistic Asset Management. Mehran worked for five years in the civil engineering industry as a geotechnical engineer before returning to academia to complete an MSc in Construction Management and a PhD at the University of Birmingham. He then spent around five years as a research fellow at Birmingham, later becoming a lecturer, and also served as a visiting research fellow at the University of Nottingham. He has supervised multiple PhD students, and his research focuses on smart infrastructure management, particularly the use of robotics and autonomous systems for monitoring and repairing urban infrastructure.
Throughout a full day of talks, panel discussions, demonstrations, and networking sessions, we will highlight Cohort 5’s cutting‑edge doctoral research and showcase the innovative ideas emerging from our community. The event aims to spark new collaborations, inspire interdisciplinary thinking, and support the development of infrastructure systems that are truly sustainable, resilient, and equitable for future generations.