Swiss BIM Congress as a new meeting place

Digitalization is leading to profound changes in the construction industry. Processes along the entire value chain, the collaboration culture and the role of the construction industry are changing. New business models and revolutionary working tools bring new opportunities. In particular, an increase in efficiency, fewer planning errors and ultimately an increase in productivity are expected. The construction industry comprises 60,000 companies and over 500,000 employees. The security industry is also part of this sector: it is responsible, for example, for fire protection, surveillance, but also access control in a building. Construction spending corresponds to a total of ten percent of Switzerland's gross domestic product.

Successful premiere

By launching the Swiss BIM Congress as an annual event, "Building digital Switzerland" the transformation of the Swiss construction industry into the digital age in the long term, the latter emphasizes. The congress took place on October 28, 2016 in the Maag Halle in Zurich with 650 guests. "The central advantage and at the same time the great challenge of digital construction is the networking of the value chain, which opens up new perspectives and business models," said Markus Weber, President of "Bauen digital Schweiz", summing up the issues of the congress. The controversial discussions on this were held in four thematic blocks: Politics, Technology, Innovation and Economy.

New business models change value chain

Speakers from Germany and abroad demonstrated the great potential of digitization and illustrated the benefits, especially for operations and the renewal phase. They explained the changes in the value creation process and ventured an outlook on new business models.

The highlight of the day was Martin Fischer, professor at Stanford University in California, who presented the latest technologies from Silicon Valley, Elmar Mock, co-inventor of Swatch, who called for more openness, and Norbert Barthle, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, who contributed the learnings from Germany to the discussion on the podium.

Data management crucial

The Swiss BIM Congress 2016 showed in particular that BIM requires both a rethinking and an adaptation of the usual project and work processes. The trend is away from the linear to the dynamic planning process, as various experts explained. Data is of particular importance in this context. In order for all those involved in planning, construction and operation to be able to work together optimally, common data models are required for data exchange.

First examples

The event also clearly showed that Switzerland is only at the beginning of the whole BIM story. Because the players do not yet know the path so precisely. However, the first general contractors are moving forward energetically. For example, the JV Losing Marazzi is building the new Limmattal Hospital in Schlieren ZH according to BIM. And the complete renovation of the University Hospital Zurich is also set to become a BIM reference one day, although the groundbreaking ceremony is still a long way off, as Maria Aström, Director of Real Estate at the University Hospital, explained on the podium. Anyone who wants to become a supplier in the long term will have to get to grips with BIM, because soon the relevant tenders will probably also include this keyword.

Annual meeting place

The Swiss BIM Congress is the ideal platform to exchange ideas beyond the industry and national borders, to bundle knowledge and to strengthen the competitiveness of the Swiss construction industry in the international context, writes the association "Bauen digital Schweiz". The second Swiss BIM Congress will therefore take place on October 27, 2017.    pd/rs

More on the topic of digital building in the interview with Markus Weber here.