Pascall+Watson at Interchange 2026: Leading the Future of Integrated Transport
As headline sponsor for the second consecutive year, Pascall+Watson took centre stage at Interchange 2026, the UK’s premier event for integrated transport infrastructure. Our expanded involvement demonstrated our commitment to shaping decarbonised, resilient transport systems that connect communities and drive positive change.
Championing Collaborative Innovation
Interchange 2026 brings together transport infrastructure clients, authorities, and supply chains across road, rail, maritime, and aviation sectors. This year’s programme explored four critical themes: Places, Energy, Environment, and Digital & Data, alongside a new Rethinking stream focused on bold ideas for connected transport futures.
Our participation reinforced our position as leaders in integrated transport design, connecting with clients, collaborators, and industry professionals across two dynamic days at Manchester Central.
Roundtable Leadership: Circular Economy in Transport Infrastructure
Nimit Raval, Associate: Sustainability, and Eamon Nolan, Project Director, hosted an exclusive roundtable bringing together senior decision-makers and sustainability professionals. The discussion explored designing transport infrastructure for multiple lives, focusing on adaptation, waste minimisation, material repurposing, and extending asset lifecycles.
The session addressed breaking down silos between clients, designers, contractors, and asset managers to make circular economy thinking standard practice across the industry.
“The discussion demonstrated that the Circular Economy goes beyond simply repurposing materials. A central takeaway was the importance of designing components and structures to be easily deconstructed and adaptable, complemented by readily accessible digital documentation.”
Nimit Raval, Associate: Sustainability
Theatre Presentation: Manchester Airport Transformation Programme
Theresa Pan, Project Director, alongside Rick Wagstaffe from Manchester Airports Group, presented a comprehensive case study of the £1bn, decade-long transformation. The session explored maintaining design vision and operational continuity across 60 interconnected projects while keeping the airport fully operational through unprecedented challenges including Covid-19.
A panel discussion with Phil Argile from Hoare Lea and Lewis Williams from Buro Happold, chaired by Phillip Wilson, Senior Associate, examined the programme’s collaborative approach and adaptive strategies.
“A key theme that resonated throughout was the strength of collaboration. The collective commitment, shared vision, and partnership-driven approach have been fundamental to the programme’s success.”
Theresa Pan, Project Director
Panel Discussion: Quality and Commercial Success
Eamon Nolan, Project Director, joined industry experts Alister Kratt from LDA Design and Charles Brindley from Active Thinking to explore how customer experience and quality can work alongside commercial priorities in transport infrastructure. The panel addressed the perceived tension between budgets and design excellence, identifying practical approaches to demonstrate how thoughtful design supports economic outcomes.
“The questions from the audience were valuable, particularly hearing other perspectives from clients, engineers, contractors.”
Eamon Nolan, Project Director
Building Future Partnerships
Our role as headline sponsor and thought leaders at Interchange 2026 reflects our commitment to sustainable, people-focused transport design. The connections made and conversations started represent the foundation for longer-term collaborations that will shape the future of integrated transport infrastructure.
Through our active participation in roundtables, presentations, and industry dialogue, we continue to challenge conventional thinking and drive innovation across aviation, rail, and integrated transport sectors. These activities demonstrate our readiness to tackle the industry’s biggest challenges while creating spaces that leave positive, lasting impacts on communities worldwide.
