Ryan Hood is the Digital Highways Leader at Arup and a Director within Arup’s UKIMEA region, operating globally. He leads the development and delivery of digital, data and technology-led solutions for highways, roads and integrated transport networks, with a focus on how digital innovation can improve network performance, resilience, safety, sustainability and customer outcomes across complex transport systems.

Ryan has extensive experience working with central governments, national road authorities, city regions and local transport bodies. He has led and advised on several nationally significant and globally pioneering programmes for the UK Department for Transport (DfT), including the economic benefits analysis for Integrated Network Management Digital Twins, which informed DfT’s emerging policy and investment thinking in this area. He is also the sponsor of Arup’s work on the DfT Crisis Response Digital Twin, exploring how data, analytics and digital twins can support decision-making during major incidents and periods of network disruption.

Ryan is Arup’s Service Director for the Department for Transport’s Bus Open Data Service (BODS) and Analyse Bus Open Data Service (ABODS), delivered in partnership with Kainos. These programmes play a critical role in improving transparency, innovation and customer information across the bus sector, supporting both industry and passenger outcomes. In addition, Ryan has acted as Service Director for Arup’s role in the National Highways Digital Lab and is Project Director for the Tees Valley Combined Authority Digital Transport Strategy business case, helping to shape a coherent, place-based vision for digital transport transformation.

More broadly, Ryan’s portfolio spans digital network operations, connected and vehicle-derived data, transport data platforms, artificial intelligence for incident and network management, and the application of digital twins across highways and multi-modal transport systems. He is particularly focused on bridging the gap between strategy, policy and practical delivery, ensuring digital initiatives translate into real-world operational and user benefits.

Beyond his role at Arup, Ryan is deeply engaged in the transport industry. He sits on the advisory board for Highways UK, is a former Chair of ITS UK, and is supporting the ITS World Congress in Birmingham in 2027. This gives him strong insight into the evolving priorities of the sector, the needs of industry members, and the role that forums such as ITS UK can play in convening collaboration, thought leadership and innovation. He is also a graduate of Cranfield University’s Digital Twin Leader programme.

Ryan is known for his ‘can-do’, outcome-focused approach, combining strategic thinking with delivery experience across complex stakeholder environments. He brings a strong understanding of public sector client needs, private sector capability and the innovation economy, with a particular focus on supporting the UK’s transition towards more integrated, data-driven and customer-centric transport systems and driving economic growth through digital innovation.