Following ACRP’s participation in SANACE 2026, held on 4–5 June in Lísek, Czech Republic, the symposium’s central panel discussion, “The Future of Concrete Repair: Service Life, Innovation and Responsibility,” produced a clear message for the sector across Europe: repair and rehabilitation can no longer be treated as one-off fixes for visible defects, but must be planned as part of a structure’s long-term life-cycle management.
More than one hundred professionals attended the two-day event, organised by the Concrete Structures Repair Association (SSBK) in cooperation with the Czech Road Society and the Road Construction Association. Over twenty technical presentations covered topics ranging from investment programmes and regulation to diagnostics, repair design, materials and execution, alongside lessons learned from major infrastructure projects.
The panel, moderated by ACRP President Aleš Jakubík and bringing together infrastructure owners, designers, contractors, researchers and professional associations, identified several priorities for the sector going forward. Participants agreed that thorough diagnostics and careful project preparation are essential, since shortcomings at the early stages of a project tend to create complications during execution and throughout the structure’s service life. There was also broad consensus that repair solutions should be judged on durability, functionality and long-term value rather than lowest initial cost, with investment in quality design and preparation generally translating into longer service life and reduced maintenance costs.
“Today, repair and rehabilitation are no longer limited to fixing defects. They have become an essential part of infrastructure management, asset protection and ensuring long-term durability. SANACE 2026 once again demonstrated the value of open dialogue and close cooperation between owners, designers, contractors, material suppliers and researchers,” said Aleš Jakubík, President of SSBK and President of ACRP
Innovation was another key theme. While owners and professionals showed openness to new materials and technologies, panellists noted that wider adoption is often held back by a lack of long-term references and objective data on real-world performance, pointing to the growing importance of structural monitoring and systematic evaluation over time.
The discussion also returned to a challenge familiar to associations across Europe: the shortage of qualified professionals and the need for a generational transition in the sector. Speakers called for closer cooperation between universities, research institutions and industry, along with greater investment in specialist training and efforts to improve the visibility and attractiveness of construction and engineering careers.
Summing up the spirit of the symposium, Aleš Jakubík, President of SSBK and of ACRP, noted that repair and rehabilitation have become a core part of infrastructure management and asset protection, and underlined the value of close cooperation between owners, designers, contractors, suppliers and researchers.
SANACE 2026 reaffirmed that high-quality diagnostics, responsible project preparation, openness to innovation and strong cooperation among stakeholders are essential not only for the Czech sector, but for extending the service life of structures across Europe — themes that closely align with ACRP’s own mission and the topics that will be explored further at the upcoming ACRP European Conference in Stockholm this November.