PBC Today’s Harriet sat down with Ollie Hughes to discuss the inaugural Digital Construction North, the new AECO event with over 50 industry experts sharing their insight in panels and talks
Ahead of the first ever Digital Construction North on 13 November at Manchester Central, PBC Today caught up with event director Ollie Hughes to discuss boosting business in the North, the impact of AI on the construction sector and all the the must-see events at DCN.
Why did you choose Manchester for the inaugural Digital Construction North event?
In truth one of our sponsors suggested it. They’ve long been supporters of DCW and asked whether we’d considered doing it in Manchester. We did some digging and found that we get more visitors to London from overseas than we do from the North of the country. In our post-event surveys, the reasons given for not attending are always time, money, travel.
There’s also a huge amount of construction work being done in the North. Manchester itself seems to have a different skyline every time you visit. There’s the ‘levelling up agenda’, the supply chain is different, clients, projects, etc. Said sponsor was right, it did feel like a missed opportunity. We put together a committee to help shape the themes for the event. Reached out to other sponsors and exhibitors and the ball started rolling for what looks set to be a brilliant show.
As for why Manchester specifically, selfishly I love the city and Manchester Central is a fantastic venue. We run other events here so knew the logistics. But we’ve also had a lot of support from organisations like BDP and the University of Salford to help get things off the ground. In fact, I first pitched the idea to some of our now committee members at Old Trafford watching the Twenty20.
But in truth we could have picked Liverpool, Leeds, Newcastle, or any number of other great cities in the North. We were spoilt for choice.
There are a number of high profile AECO companies exhibiting and in attendance at DCN, such as Autodesk, Bluebeam, and Openspace. Which panels or speeches would you recommend to attendees?
I think they’re all brilliant! But if you had to pick a few I’d start with our opening panel session in the auditorium: Building Tomorrow: Technology, Innovation, and the Future of the Built Environment. We’ve got a great lineup of speakers to share their successes, failures and challenges on the subject; Alistair Kell (BDP), Sagal Rooble (Chetwoods), Dale Sinclair (WSP), Laura Brown (Bowmer + Kirkland).
Another must-see is our opening session on the Information Management Stage: Call for action: Refreshed approach to the UK IM Mandate. Nima will be announcing their call to action for the new Information Management Initiative.
AtkinsRealis will be talking VSA²: Transforming remote site management with multi-sensor AI analysis and autonomous robotics on the Innovation Hub. You might get to say hello to everyone’s favourite robot dog too.
You can see the full programme online here.
We are increasingly seeing Artificial Intelligence deployed across a variety of functions in the construction sector- what is the most unexpected use of AI that you have seen?
What’s the most unexpected use of AI in construction? Honestly, all of it. I think the applications of AI and the speed at which some of it has been deployed has been truly remarkable. Thinking back to the days of the BIM mandate and when we first launched DCW, I don’t think anywhere near as many people were ready to embrace new ways of working. I think it shows just how far we’ve come on this data journey and our approach to new technologies in the industry.
But with this does come a cause for some concern and reflection. AI has without doubt captured the zeitgeist of the past few years. You can’t move without seeing something linked or even loosely associated with it. Unlike other hyped technologies like VR/AR, 3D printing, and robotics, the implications of AI feel genuinely infinite. I don’t think many of us imagined the impact of the internet at the time, but our world now would be unrecognisable if we were stood back in the year 2000. I believe AI will be the same. Humans have evolved through efficiency. It’s why we love AI. I think we need to be mindful of the ripples it will create.
Which use of AI do you think will have the greatest impact on the sector in the years to come?
On a brighter note, there are definitely some incredible AI applications in the field. A favourite example is BDP’s ChatBDP, which Alistair Kell will showcase at the event, demonstrating how generative AI streamlines staff access to their own preexisting knowledge bases. It’s a relatively simple idea that uses technology to augment the work already being done. Freeing people up to do what they’re best at.
I asked ChatGPT the same question and it had its own views. But maybe just come along to Digital Construction North and find out for yourself.
