The Applied in JBP’s Applied Trenchless Training Workshops

Frank Reilly Director JBP’s Trenchless, Training Programme

When we at JBP Trenchless Training included the word ‘Applied’ in the title of our ‘Applied Trenchless Training Workshops’, it was more than just a branding exercise. It was very deliberate – a mission statement. The workshops aren’t conventional technical lectures, nor are they product demos masquerading as continuous professional development training. Rather, they occupy a valuable space where practical knowledge, field insight, and commercial innovation intersect—offering valuable real-world insight and experience to engineers, contractors, clients, and even academics working across the trenchless sector.

Across recent editions of the workshops—most recently at Trenchless Asia 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Trenchless Middle East 2024 in Dubai, and Trenchless Asia 2024 in Manila—the emphasis has consistently been on bringing applied insight to the surface. The sessions, delivered by experienced practitioners, product specialists and international experts drawn from across the sector, offer concise, informationrich presentations that go beyond the theoretical. These workshops are curated to bridge the gap between product innovation and practical implementation.

Take, for example, in the TA2025 Applied Workshops, a session led by Michael Yuen and Kadin Choi of Andrews. Engineer. Their talk on AI and sewer pipe condition inspection was, on the surface, technical. But what made it compelling—and applicable— was the grounding of these advanced tools in the day-today challenges of municipal condition assessment. Likewise, the demonstration by BKP Berolina on UV-CIPP was both a commercial presentation and an educational opportunity, outlining real-world applications, logistical considerations, and performance outcomes in the field.

The session by Shauna Herron and her colleague Shaun McShane from Environmental Techniques offered another standout example of applied insight. Their presentation on using drones to inspect pipelines showcased not only the evolving role of UAVs in the trenchless toolkit but also how this technology is being used right now—on-site, in challenging environments, and often where traditional inspection methods fall short. It provided a clear view of how drones are transforming access, data capture, and safety practices in pipeline inspection work.

Similarly, case studies—such as the Quick-Lock rehabilitation projects presented by Applied Pipeline Services in the Middle East or Sabah-based UV-CIPP projects from CitiTrenchless— offer not just marketing material but digestible lessons in what works, what doesn’t, and why. The presenters don’t shy away from sharing logistical constraints, environmental factors, or human resource issues—providing a holistic view of project delivery.

This practical relevance is what sets apart the format of Applied Workshops programmes, and provides a great complement to the main conference programmes. The workshops are concise, free to attend, and deliberately positioned alongside industry exhibitions, which makes them easily accessible and contextually relevant. The programmes — from the diverse insights of global trenchless champions like Dr Dec Downey and Prof. Sam Ariaratnam to rising regional voices in Asia and the Middle East — aim to be as pragmatic as they are informative.

The commercial context of many presentations is not a drawback—it’s a strength. It reflects a wider shift in how trenchless knowledge is being shared. Businesses, after all, are where much of the innovation and R&D investment takes place. Allowing space for product developers and specialist contractors to share their solutions, not just their slides, adds a layer of experiential learning and knowhow transfer.

Indeed, the intersection of education, business, and training is one of the unspoken themes of JBP’s workshops. That theme is a constant preoccupation for us when designing our programmes, as is the challenge of educating the next generation. This discussion centres not only on what to teach but also on how and where to deliver it, as we aim to provide a platform, wherever and whenever possible, recognising that education is most effective when it connects practice and evolving situational realities.

With each edition, the JBP workshops continue to demonstrate that “applied” must be more than a buzzword in the title of our workshop programmes. It means bringing together manufacturers, engineers, academics and end users in shared spaces to learn and exchange knowledge. It means shining a spotlight on relevance while not ignoring the theory and always seeking to answer the unspoken question: “How does this help me solve my problem or meet my challenges?”

I am delighted to tell you we will once again be partnering with our colleagues at Westrade and delivering our next programme of Applied Trenchless Training Workshops at the upcoming Trenchless Middle East, in Saudi Arabia, in November of this year. And of course, we couldn’t deliver the workshops programme without the fantastic cooperation of all those companies, organisations and individuals who generously share their applied knowledge, experience and real-world insights for the benefit of all trenchless professionals.

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