The Geosystems program is excited to share the news that UC Berkeley and the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) are teaming up to launch a new research and innovation center that will apply cutting-edge technology to address infrastructure challenges our communities face due to climate change, aging systems and natural hazards.

The new Center for Smart Infrastructure, which is led by Prof. Kenichi Soga with the support of Faculty from the Geosystems group as well as other CEE groups, is to be based at the UC Berkeley’s Richmond Field Station.

The Center will develop and use remote sensors, data analytics and artificial intelligence tools, as well as other emerging technologies, to better inform decision-making among utilities and government agencies. It will also promote large size testing of pipelines. Among Facilities hosted at the Richmond Field Station, 

The Center has a plan for multiple research, educational and professional activities to advance the reliability of critical  infrastructure systems  that are facing major challenges, and cascading failure events.

The center will leverage expertise across campus and include collaborations with the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center, SimCenter, Berkeley Water Center, the Institute of Transportation Studies, Global Metropolitan Studies and the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and the Banatao Institute (CITRIS). Work of the center will also be coordinated with the activities at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

More information about the new Center can be found here