Nemetschek, one of the leading software providers for the construction industry, has predicted that digitalisation will be a key enabler for construction growth in 2023
Although 2022 was a strong year for Nemetschek, challenges in this industry still remain. According to Yves Padrines, CEO of the Nemetschek Group, the industry must quickly accelerate its embracing of digital tools to drive vital improvements in efficiency and sustainability within the sector to drive construction growth in 2023.
‘Through increased digitalisation, projects can be planned, built and managed more efficiently’
Padrines commented: “The construction sector is currently facing many issues. 90% of all large projects overrun in either budget or deadlines or both, while almost 40% of all carbon emissions are caused by the construction industry.
“30% of all work is rework due to errors, and 20% of all materials are wasted. This is clearly unsustainable. Covid and the subsequent recovery has helped to accelerate progress in harnessing new digital tools, but there is still much work to be done.
“The construction industry faces existential threats, with a perfect storm of labour shortages, material shortages, supply chain issues, and wider economic challenges, including the energy crisis,” continued Padrines.
Despite these challenges, Padrines is upbeat. “Through increased digitalization, buildings and infrastructure projects can be planned, built and managed more efficiently, while building resilience against tough market conditions.”
Digital twins are demonstrating the power of digital technologies and driving construction growth
Innovations such as digital twins demonstrate the potential of digital technologies and their application within the sector, with Nemetschek helping to successfully deliver a new 50,000 m2 children’s hospital in Bergen, Norway.
The project, which is underway and due to be finalized in 2023, relied entirely on a digital open cloud-based planning and data management solution devised and implemented by Nemetschek Group.
Project teams were, as a result, able to use a completely digital working method to maximise collaboration and efficiency, providing significant cost savings, better project control, and substantially better outcomes for all project stakeholders by centralizing the enormous amount of data for the building in one place.
Using a digital twin, the documentation was delivered and controlled before work began on-site, unlike a traditional approach where documentation is delivered after the building is completed. This meant that correct and up-to-date information was accessible throughout the project.
Showcasing how innovations can drive the construction industry
In the UK, Nemetschek Group has invested in SymTerra, a construction site communications platform, which can facilitate improved communication, collaboration, and visibility across the supply chain.
Nemetschek also showcased how such innovations can drive the industry, with its headquarters in Munich serving as a proof of concept. With the help of Reconstruct, the creation of high quality 360-degree digital models of the existing buildings was a matter of hours rather than days or weeks.
According to Yves Padrines, while the construction industry is making some encouraging progress in digitalization, he would still like to see greater urgency: “The Nemetschek Group is an enabler for more digitalization, and with our tools, our clients can shape the built world.
“Digital is the future, and those who fail to move fast enough to embrace it could very quickly find themselves struggling to survive.
“Our solutions, and their intelligent application of them in projects across the world, are showing that a different future is possible for the AEC/O industry. I am confident that we have the skills, expertise, and innovations to deliver such a future for our customers in 2023.”
