Quick Info
Workshop Date: September 9, 2026
Workshop Time: 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM ET
Location: ADERSIM Lab, Schulich Building, York University, 111 Ian Macdonald Boulevard, Toronto, Canada
In person and virtual participation via Zoom
Participants Registration: If you are interested in participating in the workshop, please register here.
Deadline for in person participants registration: September 4
Deadline for remote participants registration: September 7
Important notes:
There is no registration fee for attending the workshop.
Workshop organizers are unable to support travel & accommodation for participants.
BACKGROUND
The Challenge of Winter Road Maintenance
With the escalating unpredictability of severe winter weather, the critical importance of effective road maintenance and infrastructure safety has been thrust into the spotlight. Harsh seasonal conditions present complex logistical challenges that demand seamless, proactive coordination across municipal transportation and public safety sectors. Traditional methods of snow clearing and ice management often rely on reactive strategies, making it difficult to efficiently allocate resources across vast roadway networks. In these demanding environments, even minor delays in condition monitoring or hazard detection can yield far-reaching consequences for community mobility, environmental sustainability, and public safety.
To navigate these complex seasonal challenges, the Emerging Technologies and Winter Road Maintenance workshop provides a premier platform for uniting scientific research, technological innovation, and practical application. Supported by York University, CIFAL York, UNITAR, and ADERSIM, this hybrid event brings together leading experts from York University and the University of Oulu, Finland, to share actionable insights directly from the forefront of smart infrastructure management.
By focusing on the intersection of drone-based real-time data collection, AI-powered snow and ice detection, and intelligent infrastructure assessment, this workshop goes beyond theoretical discussion. It is designed to equip researchers, municipal practitioners, and transportation innovators with the advanced knowledge and data-driven tools required to transform reactive clearing into proactive operations—ensuring future winter road maintenance is safer, smarter, and more sustainable for all communities.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The main goals and objectives of this one-day symposium are:
- Enhance Public Safety and Resilience – Explore how predictive modeling and real-time spatial intelligence can optimize emergency response during severe winter events.
- Adoption of Advanced Technology and AI-Driven Solutions – Accelerate the integration of artificial intelligence and uncrewed aerial systems into municipal winter road maintenance and infrastructure management.
- Improve Decision-Making – Provide municipal leaders with data-driven frameworks to deploy snowplows and salting trucks more efficiently, reducing response times.
- Advance Sustainability – Discuss how precision data can optimize vehicle routing, lowering both environmental impact and operational costs.
- Mitigate Operational Risk – Identify actionable protocols for integrating emerging technologies into existing municipal emergency management and disaster risk reduction plans.
- Cross-Sector Collaboration – Bridge the gap between academic research, technology innovators, and on-the-ground transportation practitioners through international knowledge exchange.
TARGET AUDIENCES/PARTICIPANTS
- Faculty members of different disciplines
- Researchers
- Public safety and emergency response professionals
- Graduate and undergraduate students
- Policy makers
- Representatives of NGOs
Preliminary Program (Subject to Change)
9:00 - 9:30 AM Registration
09:30 - 09:45 AM Opening Session
Welcoming Address:
Skandha Sunderasen & CIFAL York
Presentation 1: 9:45-10:45
Advancing Winter Mobility Through UAV-Based Sensing and Intelligent Infrastructure Monitoring
Dr. Siva Ariram, University of Oulu
Coffee Break
10:45 AM - 11:00 AM
Presentation 2: 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Snowplowing Optimization Tool
Dr. Mehdi Nourinejad, York University
Presentation 3: 11:30 AM-11:45 AM
Working together towards safe drinking water in the Arctic
Dr. Stephanie Gora, York University
Presentation 4: 11:50 AM -12:10 PM
Advances and Innovations in Civil Engineering for Road Maintenance
Dr. Mojgan Jadidi, York University
Presentation 5: 12:15 PM - 12:30 PM
Winter Road Maintenance Using Drone Swarms
Dr. Jinjun Shan, York University
Networking Lunch Break: 12:30 PM- 2:00 PM
Complementary at the venue
Organizers
Ali Asgary, Professor of Disaster & Emergency Management and Director of CIFAL York, York University, Toronto, Canada
Skandha Sunderasen, Associate Director, Global Engagement & Strategic Initiatives, York University, Toronto, Canada
Siva Ariram, Postdoctoral Researcher, Control Engineering and Robotics, Biomimetics and Intelligent Systems Group, Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, University of OULU
Francesco del Carpio, Operations Coordinator, CIFAL York, York University, Toronto, Canada
Sponsors & Additional Information
If interested sponsoring this event or have questions about the symposium program please contact Dr. Ali Asgary: cifaldirector@yorku.ca or Francesco del Carpio at cifalom@yorku.ca