2.7 Leveraging R&D Investment for the Australian Built Environment

Project 2.7 Industry Report – Dec 2012 (4 Mb)
Project 2.7 Industry Brochure – Dec 2012 (1 Mb)

The overarching goal of this project is to better match funding strategies to industry needs to maximise the benefits of R&D to Australia’s infrastructure and building industry.

Project partners are: Queensland Department of Public Works; Queensland Transport and Main Roads; Western Australian Department of Treasury and Finance; John Holland; Queensland University of Technology; Swinburne University of Technology; and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (Prof Göran Roos). This project has been endorsed by the Australian Built Environment Industry Innovation Council (BEIIC) with Council member Prof Catherin Bull serving on this project’s Steering Committee.

This project seeks to: (i) maximise the value of R&D investment in this sector through improved understanding of future industry research needs; and (ii) address the perceived problem of a disproportionately low R&D investment in this sector, relative to the size and national importance of the sector.

This research will develop new theory built on open innovation, dynamic capabilities and absorptive capacity theories in the context of strategic foresighting and roadmapping activities.

Four project phases have been designed to address this research:

1. 1. Audit and analysis of R&D investment in the Australian built environment since 1990 – access publically available data relating to R&D investments across Australia from public and private organisations to understand past trends.
   2. Examine diffusion mechanisms of research and innovation and its impact on public and private organisations – investigate specific R&D investments to determine the process of realising research support, direction-setting, project engagement, impacts and pathways to adoption.
   3. Develop a strategic roadmap for the future of this critical Australian industry – assess the likely future landscapes that R&D investment will both respond to and anticipate.
   4. Develop policy to maximise the value of R&D investments to public and private organisations – through translating project learnings into policy guidelines.

The project team also acknowledge the important contribution of Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage funding from 2011-2104. This funding enabled this project to leverage SBEnrc funding to both broaden and deepen research outcomes. In particular this funding: enabled a fourth case study of Private sector R&D investment in Australia to be undertaken; and facilitated the ongoing international collaboration of  the 36 members from 17 countries in the CIB Task Group 85 Research Investment and Impact. This activity which has led to the forthcoming Taylor and Francis publication R&D Investment and Impact in the Global Construction Industry (due June 2014) – https://www.routledge.com/catalogs/building_and_construction_catalog/1/6/

Project Outcomes

• Phase 1 outcomes will include: (i) a map of the existing research investments; (ii) an audit of R&D investment in this sector through interrogating Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Tax Office and Australian and state-based data; and (iii) a strategic assessment of the above inputs to inform the following project phases.
• Phase 2 outcomes will include national case studies of specific themes of investment, highlighting lessons learned, success criteria and critical challenges.
• Phase 3 will include: (i) an industry R&D roadmap, responding to likely futures; and (ii) a comprehensive update to the CRC for Construction Innovation’s landmark Construction 2020 report published in 2004.
• Phase 4 outcomes will include a set of strategies to allow public and private sector organisations to more profitably engage in research to secure business advantages.

CIB – International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction

This project has also formed the basis for a new CIB Task Group, TG85 R&D Investment and Impact, which held its first meeting at SB11 Helsinki World Sustainable Building Conference on 19th October 2011.

CIB TG85 Investing for Impact: Constructing a Better Built Environment” (Industry-focussed booklet) (24.06.13 – 3 Mb)
CIB TG85 R&D Investment and Impact – Task Group Charter (01.06.11 – 130 Kb)
CIB TG85 Inaugural Meeting – 19th Oct 2011 – Helsinki Invitation (29.09.11 – 129 Kb)

CIB TG85 members receiving CIB Programme Committee commendation for the most remarkable contributions to the CIB from amongst all the Commission and Theme Group Coordinators and Members at the World Building Congress 2013 (Brisbane, 7 May 2013).

Antonio Lucio Gil, Ex-Vice-President of Green Building Council España and Keith Hampson, CEO of SBEnrc during launch of the book R&D Investment and Impact in the Global Construction Industry, Barcelona, World Sustainable Building Conference, 30 October 2014. Antonio Lucio was responsible for the “Global Vision” at the WSB14.

TG85 Meetings

CIB TG85 Notes of Meeting – 18th Oct 2011 – Helsinki (18.09.11 – 84 Kb)
CIB TG85 -Presentation by G.Dewulf – ‘Managing Public-Private Innovation Programs’- 07th February 2012 (17.04.12 – 587 Kb)
CIB TG85 Notes of Meeting – 7th Feb 2012 (17.04.12 – 440 Kb)
CIB TG85 Notes of Meeting – 27th March 2012 (29.03.12 – 335 Kb)
CIB TG85 – Notes of Meeting – 12th June 2012 (835 Kb)
CIB TG85 – Presentation by F. Bougrain – R&D and Innovation in Construction – 12th June 2012 (12.06.12 – 479 Kb)
CIB TG85 Notes of Meeting – 7th Aug 2012 (13.08.12 – 844.08 Kb)
CIB TG85 – Presentation by K. Haugbølle – Construction R&D investments in Denmark – 10th October 2012 (11.10.12 – 602 Kb)
CIB TG85 Notes of Meeting – 10th Oct 2012 (11.10.12 – 990 Kb)
CIB TG85 – Presentation by G. Shen – R&D Funding in Hong Kong- 27th November 2012 (28.11.12 – 1 Mb)
CIB TG85 – Notes of Meeting – 27th Nov 2012 (29.11.12 – 922 Kb)
CIB TG85 – Presentation by A. Staub – Germany: Researching Sustainability – 5th February 2013 (07.02.13 – 942 Kb)
CIB TG85 – Notes of Meeting – 05th Feb 2013 (09.02.13 – 399 Kb)
CIB TG85 – Notes of Meeting – 07th May 2013 (29.05.13 -540 Kb)
CIB TG85 – Notes of Meeting – 25th Jun 2013 (15.07.13 – 835 Kb)
CIB TG85 – Presentation by A. Robinson Fayek – NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Strategic Construction Modeling and Delivery: Overview of Program – 16th October 2013 (16.10.13 – 1Mb )
CIB TG85 – Notes of Meeting – 16th October 2013 (16.10.13 – 505 Kb)
CIB TG85 – Notes of Meeting – 26th February 2014 (26.02.14 – 415 Kb)
CIB TG85 – Notes of Meeting – 18th June 2014 (18.06.14 – 352 Kb)

TG85 Publications

Chapter Abstracts – Book: R&D Investment and Impact in the Built Environment – published June 2014 (09.04.13 – 825 Kb)

TG85 Authors’ Biographies – Book R&D Investment and Impact in the Global Built Environment (published June 2014) and Booklet Investing for Impact: Constructing a Better Built Environment (published May 2013) (23.07.13 – 1120 Kb)

Book – R&D Investment and Impact in the Global Construction Industry (Published June 2014)

Leveraging Global Innovation Networks (16.10.14 – 7Mb)