20th International Conference of the Australian Flexible Pavement Association

UNSW SMaRT Centre Director Professor Veena will deliver the opening keynote speech for the 20th International Conference of the Australian Flexible Pavement Association on 29 October 2025.

Hosts AfPA say the three-day event at the Adelaide Convention Centre from 28–30 October will bring together industry leaders and innovators, policymakers, and local and state asset owners to explore cutting-edge solutions for creating smart, resilient, eco-friendly roads that will shape our future. 

​"Under the theme Future Ready Roads, this conference serves as a catalyst for change in the flexible pavement industry. Don’t miss the opportunity to connect, collaborate, and contribute to building and maintaining roads that are ready for tomorrow’s challenges."

Veena will share the SMaRT Centre vision for a sustainable future, highlighting the importance of creating a circular economy and how using waste as a resource must be at the centre of our manufacturing future and innovative decarbonisation efforts, in collaboration between researchers and industry.

She will highlight that using innovations such as UNSW SMaRT Centre's recycling and MICROfactorie^TM technologies that recover valuable materials from waste and reform them into new manufacturing feedstock and products through collaborators, are central to help achieve the sustainability needed for the future.

Event website and registration

See video below:

Event hosts say:

"Future Ready Roads” underscores the critical need to proactively ensure that the pavements of today can withstand future challenges, through advanced materials, innovative design, and strategic construction and maintenance. 

The conference aims to inspire action and facilitate collaboration between international and local experts and industry stakeholders. The program will bring together leading experts in pavement engineering, procurement and design, construction, and asset management. Through a mix of dynamic keynotes, technical sessions and interactive panel discussions, delegates will gain insights into global best practices shaping the future of Australia’s flexible pavements.