The importance of digital adoption in enhancing the delivery of infrastructure was the key focus at this year’s Build Digital Annual Conference which took place in Galway last week.

Speakers from industry and academia, within Ireland’s construction and built environment sectors, presented their insights on digital workflows and processes and their role in powering infrastructure delivery in Ireland.

And the key message was a simple one – digitalisation should not be delayed, because ihas the potential to facilitate the delivery of the all-important projects for infrastructure in Ireland.

Aside from the productivity benefits, a key driver for digital adoption is the Capital Works Management Framework (CWMF) BIM (Building Information Modelling) requirements, also known as the Irish BIM Mandate.

The consensus from the conference was that attaining efficient and effective information management is a complex but critical undertaking, requiring time and resource investment from the top down in organisations.

Build Digital is providing supports to enable smoother and faster compliance with the Irish BIM Mandate.

Minister of State for Public Procurement, Digitalisation and eGovernment Emer Higgins, opened the conference by addressing the importance of adopting digital practices and workflows.

“We all know the scale of the challenge before us. Ireland’s population is growing, our economy is expanding, and our communities urgently need new housing, transport, and social infrastructure,” she said.

“Meeting that demand requires us to build more, and to do so more efficiently, sustainably, and transparently. That is not an easy task — but it is precisely where digitalisation comes in.

“The theme of ‘Accelerating Development through Digital Adoption’ is particularly relevant to the work of my department, and to government as a whole, where increased investment and faster delivery of infrastructure remain a key priority,” she added.

Pictured: Opening address…Minister of State for Public Procurement, Digitalisation and eGovernment Emer Higgins.