On June 28, the 2019 China Digital Building Annual Summit hosted by China Construction News, The West-coast New District Municipal Administration Commission, Qingdao Municipal Bureau of Housing and Urban-Rural Construction Development, China Real Estate Chamber of Commerce and Glodon Co., Ltd. was solemnly held in Qingdao. With the theme of “Building Digital Belt & Road, Sharing Economic Development”, the International Forum invited more than 200 government leaders, industry experts, business professionals, and university staff from more than 20 countries to discuss the development direction of digitization in the construction industry, share the latest solutions and researches in digital applications of different countries in the field of construction, and jointly promote the progress of the entire industry.
Participants in the forum included Mr. Zhi Fei, VP of Glodon Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Glodon”), Mr. Tan Xiaodong, Chairman of Quality Development Coordination Department of Research and Development International (RDI), Mr. Zhu Yali, VP of Glodon Co., Ltd., En. Azman bin Ibrahim, Under Secretary of Policy & International Division in Ministry of Works Malaysia, Mr. Pierpaolo Franco, Managing Director of Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (hereinafter referred to as “RICS”) Greater China, Dr. Jin Xiao-Hua, Senior Lecturer in Project Management and the Course Advisor of the Master of Project Management program at Western Sydney University, Prof. Srinath Perera, Director of Centre for Smart Modern Construction and Chairman of Built Environment and Construction Management at Western Sydney University, Mr. Jack Zhang, Managing Director of International Product Department, and Dr. Zhou Lei, Chairman of Shanghai Dragon boat Investment Management Co., Ltd., and other high-level leaders and technicians from governments, enterprises and universities all around the world.
Opening Speech: International Forum provides an opportunity for digital transformation of construction industry
Mr. Zhi Fei delivered the opening speech. As part of the One Belt One Road policy to lead and transform the economic development of the countries involved, the International Forum utilizes the Digital Silk Road principle to collaborate, build and share. It is hoped that this forum will be an opportunity to enhance mutual understanding, strengthen cooperation across regions and countries, and promote the digital transformation of the construction industry along the Digital Silk Road and the development of the national economy.
Co-constructing the "Digital Belt & Road" in the Construction Industry, to Facilitate the Economic Development of the "One Belt One Road"
The speech was given from three perspectives: digital building standardization, international quality compliance and high quality development. Mr. Tan Xiaodong pointed out that the key to promote One Belt One Road policy is digitization, and the foundation along is standardization. Standardize digitization enables to breakthrough silos and encourages connectivity and collaborations. It further improves the quality of development as well as motivating the entire construction industry.
Embracing Digital Transformation
Mr. Zhu Yali pointed out that digital transformation of the construction industry will equip the industry with greater core of competitiveness, resources optimization, and environmentally friendly sustainable development. The key factor of the industry digital transformation is by enforcing the theory of “Digital Construction” and “Digital Cost Management”. Aided with informatization, digital talent development, and further establish the great transformation on all processes, trades of works, and all stakeholder involvements. At the same time, it is hoped that Glodon can work with the industry to establish a digital ecosystem, implement an intelligent digital strategy, adopt feasible global solutions, and ultimately achieve a common consultation, co-construction, sharing and win-win situation for all countries along the Silk Road.
The Construction Industry in Malaysia: Digitization as "A Game Changer": Issues and Challenges
En. Azman bin Ibrahim introduced Malaysia's digital development and visions in detail and analyzed the innovation of technology, process and operations, strategy, business model, regulations and policy from three perspectives of company, sector and government. The digitization of construction industry is a new way forward. The most significant benefits derived from digitization include time saving, high productivity, efficient work, high document quality, speedy response times, minimal difficulty and error, simplified work scope and work methods. Therefore, En. Azman quoted the famous phrase of Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of World Economic Forum, “In the new world, it is not the big fish which eats the small fish, it’s the fast fish which eats the slow fish”.
Industrial Digital Upgrades Driven by Cost Management Transformation
From the perspective of construction industry and urban development, Mr. Pierpaolo Franco introduced the changes, challenges and opportunities facing the future. Cost will no longer be confined to the field of engineering construction, but will include a broad range of issues that integrate the whole value chain and life cycle assessment. The task will be more complex and huge. The digitization of the construction industry in the future requires the establishment of unified standards and professionalism, which is essential for improving the confidence across the industry, enhancing the assurance of professionalism, achieving communication across national borders, and ensuring global economic security. It is not only the basis of digital transformation, but also a tool to implement the digital smart city. Mr. Franco pointed out that in the future, the city we live in will become a scientific and technological city which combines many information elements, such as smart, big data, Internet of Things, multi-purpose art AI and so on. Therefore, the application of digitization is crucial and unified standards will play a key role.
BIM Enabled Early-Stage Estimating for PPP Projects
Prof. Srinath Perera and Dr. Jin Xiao-Hua jointly introduced the research report which was jointly participated by the University of West Sydney and other units, and sponsored by RICS and Glodon. They briefly introduced the general situation of PPP implementation in various countries, and compared the differences of whether using BIM technology in PPP projects. They emphatically explained the overall model framework of BIM in the early estimating application of PPP projects, and provided new guidance for the combination application of BIM and PPP.
Dr. Jin Xiao-Hua pointed out that through digital transformation, construction-related enterprises can integrate digital technology into their processes to cope with growing demands, create more collaborative thinking processes based on cloud-based workbench, improve efficiency by providing real-time communication with mobile technology, and improve accuracy through automation.
After the keynote speech, Prof. Srinath Perera and Dr. Jin Xiao-Hua presented the research report as a gift to representatives of Glodon and RICS as present.
(from left to right: Mr. Zhu Yali, Dr. Yun Langsheng, Senior VP of Glodon, Dr. Jin Xiao-Hua, Prof. Srinath Perera, Mr. Liu Qian, Senior VP of Glodon, Mr. Pierpaolo Franco, and Dr. Zhou Lei)
Digitization: the Solution Which Transform the Construction Industry
Mr. Jack Zhang pointed out that the current cost management is facing enormous challenges, one of which is that the silos between various disciplines are breaking up the possibilities of collaborative cost management. Cubicost series roducts combinesvirtual-ability with automated-intelligent to bring enormous value for the industry, It break through barriers and empowered great efficiency and decision making possibilities.
Panel Discussion: Digital Technology and Transformation Strategy of Construction Industry
In the Panel Discussion, Mr. Zhu Yali, VP of Glodon Co., Ltd., En. Azman bin Ibrahim, Under Secretary of Policy & International Division in Ministry of Works Malaysia, Mr. Pierpaolo Franco, Managing Director of RICS Greater China, Prof. Srinath Perera, Director of Centre for Smart Modern Construction and Chairman of Built Environment and Construction Management at Western Sydney University, and Dr. Zhou Lei, Chairman of Shanghai Dragon boat Investment Management Co., Ltd. were invited to discuss how to apply emerging technologies to the construction industry from the perspective of company, institutions and the public, based on the topic of Digital Technology and Transformation Strategy of Construction Industry.
Signing Ceremony: Six Cooperation Projects with Government and Universities from Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia
This International Thematic Forum has achieved rich results, reaching cooperation with Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia with six projects. These six projects are a Memorandum of Understanding for strategic cooperation with Ministry of Construction of Vietnam, a Memorandum of Understanding for strategic with the Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines, a BIM research cooperation project with Philippine University of the East, and the authorized cooperative training and BIM research/implementation projects signed with Bandung Institute of Technology (Institut Teknologi Bandung), Universitas Mercu Buana (Mercu Buana University) and Universitas Kristen Krida Wacana (Krida Wacana Christian University) of Indonesia respectively. The signing of these cooperation projects not only symbolizes that the two parties have established the mutually beneficial partnership, but also means that both parties have reached consensus on the development concept of "innovation, cooperation and sharing", which is a new chapter for the cooperation between government and industrial innovative leaders. Also, it is a solid step for Glodon Digital Building to enter the world. It is hoped that this cooperation between the two parties will promote the comprehensive transformation and development of the construction industry and the national economy in Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia and other countries. Glodon expects to carry out more business exchanges and cooperation with global partners to build global digital building platforms and ecosystems.
Mr. PHAM Xuan Truong, Representative of ICE (on the right) and Mr. Qian Liu, Senior Vice President of Glodon (on the left).
Ms. Doris Gacho, the Executive Director of CIAP (on the right) and Mr. Qian Liu, Senior Vice President of Glodon (on the left).
Mr. Muhamad Abduh, Head of Civil Engineering Study Department in Institut Teknologi Bandung (on the right) and Mr. Shanks Fu, the Indonesia Branch Manager of Glodon (on the left).
Mr. Acep Hidayat, Head of Civil Engineering Study Department in Universitas Mercu Buana (on the right) and Mr. Shanks Fu, the Indonesia Branch Manager of Glodon (on the left).
Mr. Johansah Liman, Dean of Engineering Faculty in Universitas Kristen Krida Wacana (on the right) and Mr. Shanks Fu, the Indonesia Branch Manager of Glodon (on the left).
Mr. Mark, Dean of University of the East, Philippines (on the right) and Mr. Frank Xu, the Philippines Branch Manager of Glodon (on the left).
