DECEMBER 2023CONSTRUCTIONBUSINESSREVIEW.COM8IN MYOPINIONBy May Winfield, Global Director of Commercial, Legal and Digital Risks, Buro HappoldDIGITAL IN CONSTRUCTION ­ THE PRESENT AND FUTUREAt the beginning of the pandemic, it was often commented that we were living in "unprecedented times". Many things changed almost overnight: working habits, shopping, social interactions. Immediately we saw a rush to find workplace technology which would keep the ship afloat­ video conferencing, electronic whiteboards and cloud platform data sharing went from a nice-to-have, to a business necessity. Now, nearly two years in, we have largely transitioned to what people are terming "the new normal" - a hybrid lifestyle for both work and home life which has given many people far more flexibility, autonomy and feelings of potential than ever previously imagined. But how has this affected our uptake of, and response to, digital technology?Let me give you a recent example.Digital Construction Week (DCW) is one of the leading conferences for digital technology in the construction industry. I attended DCW in the October before the pandemic hit, and what marked out that week for me was the whisperings of a lack of vibrancy of innovation, weariness from the obstacles and lack of both progress and uptake in the industry. In general attendees seemed tired, and presentations were markedly jaded. Fast forward over two years to Digital Construction Week 2021, and there was a renewed vigour - a dose of energy and enthusiasm I have not encountered in some time. It's not so much that the technology has leapt forward - we haven't reinvented the wheel. More the change is in the mindset - the appetite for implementing such digitalisation and technology. So many more talks focussed on the future of digital within the construction industry, and the realistic steps already being taken to achieve it. And whereas previously it was often May Winfield
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