New projects to address industry challenges
Our industry has serious challenges: it must improve the productivity and cost-effectiveness of infrastructure and buildings; and improve workplace safety. Initiating the changes to solve these problems takes courage; delivering the innovations that will transform our industry requires conviction; and advancing research into practice can only be achieved through collaboration.
I’m pleased to announce that we are about to commence seven new industry-focussed projects. Our Governing Board has signed off on these projects and Project Steering Groups are meeting to affirm industry deliverables, research plans and dissemination strategies:
- Rethinking Social Housing: Effective, Efficient & Equitable (e3)
- Transport Network Resilience: Disaster Logistics and Infrastructure Vulnerability
- Transformative Products and Processes: A Value Chain Assessment of the Australian Manufactured Housing Industry
- Challenges for the FIFO Workforce: Impacts on Health, Safety and Relationships
- New Project Management Structures: Infrastructure Modelling (BIM) and Location (GIS)
- Driving Whole-of-life Efficiencies through BIM and Procurement
- Lifting Productivity: Scaffolding Life Cycle Dynamic Planning
We are now partnered with 20 additional project affiliates to ensure industry engagement across the sector at the national and international levels.
A number of these projects are extensions of existing research of significance to industry, for example, our projects on digital modelling and construction safety.
We have combined these with new topics such as housing policy and workforce practices. We are exploring the changing face of social housing policy, and the need to deliver more affordable housing through process innovation such as offsite manufacture. These new research initiatives are supported by fresh investment from new partners.
We continue to welcome additional investment and participation from project partners.
Let me know!
International collaboration
The SBEnrc is extending its global reach as it matures through its projects and partnerships. We have a number of opportunities to bolster our international outreach with globally reputable partnerships and to diversify the Centre’s funding sources, assist in dissemination, strengthen the research effort and co-author publications. Building collaborations and linkages so we are well connected to leading international research allows us to develop stronger capacity for our research and avoids reinventing the wheel. Highlights include:
- A continued active role in the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB), though involvement by Governing Board Chair, John V McCarthy AO and CEO Keith Hampson.
- Keith Hampson has been formalising research collaborations with Chalmers University of Technology Sweden and Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway. Chalmers and NTNU are progressive, globally leading technological universities and we are pleased to work together as we seek international leveraging of our respective joint research strengths.
- The SBEnrc is acknowledged internationally as an excellent and unique example of a federally-funded Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) that has graduated into an independent national organisation delivering collaborative industry, government and researcher value.
Congratulations to Main Roads Western Australia
Congratulations to our core members MRWA who recently won two prestigious industry awards. These achievements highlight how they are delivering excellent results in improving industry practice. State and federal governments have a critical leadership role to play in developing the innovative capacity of our industry. These successes clearly demonstrate that MRWA is leveraging its innovation networks fundamental to improving industry competitiveness. Their recent award successes include:
- Organisational Leadership in Infrastructure Sustainability Award at the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA) National Awards. According to the judges, “MRWA demonstrated exceptional evidence of national leadership, pursuit of best practice and embedding sustainability into corporate values and projects.”
L-R Lyn O’Connell PSM, Deputy Secretary, Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development;Louis Bettini, Project Officer Sustainability, Main Roads WA;
Jamie Briggs, Assistant Federal Minister for Infrastructure; Antony Sprigg, CEO ISCA
- Award for Operational Excellence at the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Annual Awards, for their Maintenance Management Information System (MMIS) solution. This solution has resulted in significant improvements to work practices, increased efficiency and consistency in recording road defects, better prioritisation of the road network needs and improved value for money.
Upcoming events
- Perth, 25 November 2014 – BIM for Business Seminar leading industry and academic BIM experts will addresses future practices and benefits. SBEnrc projects will be profiled. For information and bookings go to: www.sbenrc.com.au or email us.
- Perth, 27-31 July 2015 – Global Lean Construction Conference co-hosted by the Lean Construction Institute Australasia (LCIA) and the International Group of Lean Construction (IGLC), with Conference Chairs Martijn Truijens and Prof Xiangyu Wang. This event will be co-located with International Conference of Innovative Technologies in Construction (ITC 2015), RFID Journal, BIM Day Out and Association of Manufacturing Excellence (AME).
Best regards
Keith
