Build Digital Grant

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath TD, has awarded funding to the Build Digital Alliance, led by TU Dublin, for their proposal which sets out plans to gather momentum in digital adoption in the construction sector in Ireland. Read the press release here.

INTENTION OF THIS GRANT FUNDING

Government intervention and public funding is generally required when the market lacks the ability or incentives to address a particular problem. The remit of this call, and the public grant funding associated with it, is specifically focused on addressing the identified market failure of “a lack of coordination and leadership leading to limited adoption of the necessary digital technology, standards, practices and expertise throughout the Irish construction and built environment sector”.

Data to measure and quantify the level of digital adoption and any associated benefits within the Irish construction sector is current up to Q3 2019 e.g. Building Information Modelling 2019. A gap analysis to address the current state will be necessary to establish a base line for KPIs and to measure and demonstrate delivery of the desired outcomes by the project overtime.

The overarching objective of the project to be funded by this grant is therefore to deliver integrated interoperable digital data adoption (sometimes referred to as iBIM) as a minimum standard, across the entire Irish construction and built environment sector, amongst both clients, operators and suppliers, in order to drive greater efficiency, sustainability and productivity in delivering and maintaining construction output and to gain competitive advantage in the international construction market. iBIM must incorporate as a minimum the BIM Dimensions 4D (Time & Phasing Simulation), 5D (Cost Analysis & Monitoring), 6D (Sustainability & Energy Performance), 7D (Facility Management, Operation and Maintenance) and 8D (Health & Safety, Accident Prevention), as well as the integration of future nD Dimensions which have not yet been universally agreed.

In this regard the construction and built environment sector should be taken as covering all stakeholders involved in the lifecycle of a built asset, including owners, facility operators, design team members and their suppliers (architects, surveyors, civil, structural, MEP and services engineers), to the contractors, subcontractors and supply chain.

While the project should be beneficial for all parts of the construction sector, two sub-sectors believed to need particular support initially are:

• Construction sector SMEs (including suppliers of goods and materials)

• Clients (both public and private sector)

In designing this open call the four themes to be addressed have been specified below but the solution has not been over-prescribed. This approach is intended to allow bidders with the relevant sectoral expertise to propose the most effective potential solutions within the budget available.

The themes to be addressed should include the following four areas along with an associated programme of communication and promotion of the project’s objectives and plans, as suggested in the National BIM Roadmap:

1. Digital Leadership and Culture Change

The project should lead a culture change in the Irish construction sector through the creation of a single source of expertise where productivity, energy performance, lean construction, sustainability, decarbonisation, the circular economy, procurement and BIM co-exist and are actively promoted, supported, and enabled. The project should also promote innovation, the use of Digital Twins and the integration of emerging technologies such as AR, VR, IoTs and Neural Networks, which will further streamline the Irish Construction Sector. In addition, the project needs to collaborate widely with industry including SMEs, the education sector, Construction Skillnet, the Professional Bodies, Public and Private Sector Clients and the wider public to ensure that it drives culture change and that the benefits of that change are distributed and embedded nationally. The project should integrate new methods of infrastructure delivery and processes into all aspects of its digital DNA/ footprint such as MMC (Modern Methods of Construction).

2. Digital Standards

The project should drive and support industry and government to adopt the appropriate standards and guidance and use of Open Data. The project should where appropriate establish and promote the use of SMPs (standard methods and procedures). In this regard, the project needs to liaise and collaborate with the National Standards Authority of Ireland to ensure that best practice is employed in terms of national, international, EU and global standards. The project should also incorporate the use of other International Standards of best practice such as the ICMS (International Construction Measurements Standards), the IPMS (International Property Measurements Standards) and the ILMS (International Land Measurement Standards).

In order to facilitate early deliverables and adoption, an emphasis should be placed on responding to the most immediate needs within the industry in the short term, all within a framework to be built upon in due course as uptake and adoption increases.

3. Digital Education & Training

The project should help construction stakeholders to address the skills and knowledge deficits that they have restricted them from engaging in digital adoption. The project should address the requirement for investment in Human Capital in all aspects with particular emphasis on emerging skills and roles providing opportunities such as data analytics.

4. Digital Procurement

The project should provide a space for the sharing of best practice around digital innovation in procurement, including in contracts, copyrights, intellectual property and project management.

These areas of focus should be constituted as pillars of the project. The project should not duplicate the work of existing Government organisations/agencies with policy responsibilities in these areas such as the National Standards Authority of Ireland, Higher and Further Education Institutes, and the Office of Government Procurement.

Furthermore, the project should be cognisant of and aligned with wider trends, initiatives and policies relating to the sustainability and green agendas and any other relevant agendas. Further background information on relevant climate change and sustainability issues that should be taken into account in developing the Build Digital Project are set out in the appendix to this document.

It is critical that the Build Digital project avoids Conflict of Interest regarding potential partnerships with suppliers, e.g. software providers. As part of the grant agreement the successful bidder will be required to commit to outputs achieving OPEN BIM and to ensure that this is maintained across all initiatives.

Finally, a disconnect between the theory and practice and potential ‘BIM/Digital bubbles’ must be avoided. The project must have a strong focus on practical adoption across all sectors of the industry.