Climate change issues and disruptive technologies are here to stay, and the built environment industry needs to rise to the challenge. Yet interwoven among the global existential threat and industry upheavals are opportunities for the taking. Companies who are bold enough to move away from their traditional bricks-and-mortar business models and nimble enough to embrace material innovation, productive workflow processes and digital technologies may find themselves having a winning hand. That was the message delivered loud and clear at the inaugural International Built Environment Week (IBEW) attended by more than 12,000 professionals from over 50 countries.

Making that clarion call was Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for National Development and Second Minister for Finance, at the Opening Ceremony. He outlined the growth opportunities: “The good news is that infrastructure demand remains very strong, especially in this part of the world. Developing economies of Asia and the Middle East are ramping up infrastructure capacity to enhance liveability and economic competitiveness. Singapore too has a strong infrastructure pipeline with many major upcoming projects, including housing projects, new airport terminal, and sea port. Opportunities abound, our built environment sector needs to be able to level up to deliver quality infrastructure in a timely and resource-efficient manner.”

Transforming the way we build

Despite these opportunities, the sector remains mired in tried-and-tested methods of working, slow to adopt more efficient systems and technology. The Building and Construction Authority’s (BCA) solution was a multi-pronged approach. A Construction Industry Transformation Map (ITM) was rolled out in 2017. Generous grant schemes were introduced to fund promising initiatives and other innovations. New platforms, like IBEW, were created to share ideas and spark collaborations.   

As Mr Lee Fook Sun, Chairman of BCA noted, “IBEW represents the coming together of stakeholders from every segment of the sector. It symbolises our common aspirations for an advanced and progressive Built Environment sector”. As an event, IBEW brings under one roof the whole built environment value chain – building owners, developers, architects, engineers, consultants, contractors and facility managers. As a concept, it is an ambitious catalyst to match-make potential industry partners, and kickstart initiatives that may grow into future game changers.

Nurturing game changers

One such initiative highlighted by the Minister, was the joint venture between Woh Hup, a traditional construction firm, and Hubble, a technology firm. The first beneficiary of a $4 million joint grant by BCA and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), the venture uses digital technology to connect stakeholders working on the same construction project using a single platform. This means that project partners can collaborate, exchange and make use of each other’s data – from design and fabrication, to on-site assembly and construction, all the way down to facility operations and maintenance post-construction. It is a powerful new way of working for the construction industry.

Another example of a potential game-changer project is the Port of Singapore Authority’s (PSA) new port facility in Tuas. The idea is deceptively simple. By cladding the building façade with vertical solar panels instead of just the rooftop, PSA not only saves on material and labour costs during construction, it also increases the amount of energy generated for use throughout the building’s life. Writ large, this technological innovation becomes advantageous, a huge boon for space-starved and alternative energy disadvantaged Singapore.

Organised by BCA together with Reed Exhibitions and supported by 12 Trade Associations and Chambers, the inaugural IBEW is the first fully integrated event in Asia Pacific that covers the entire built environment life cycle and value chain.

Reinventing the industry

Urging the industry to reinvent itself in the face of global challenges, Minister Wong pointed out: “For too long the built environment sector has been a laggard in productivity and technology adoption. It is not unique to Singapore. You see this everywhere in the world. Our processes for building tend to be very fragmented, and the old ways of building had been entrenched for far too long. We’ve made some progress over the years. But we really need to double down our efforts to build better, smarter and greener.”

About International Built Environment Week

The International Built Environment Week (IBEW) is the first fully integrated event in Asia Pacific that covers the entire built environment life cycle and value chain.  Organised by the Building and Construction Authority together with Reed Exhibitions and supported by 12 Trade Associations and Chamber, the event offers the perfect platform for industry leaders and professionals from the global built environment to exchange ideas and experiences, widen networks and discover new business opportunities.

The inaugural IBEW was held from 3 to 6 September 2019 at Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Singapore. Themed ‘Transforming the Way We Build’, the event showcased today’s best practices and tomorrow’s innovations in the areas of environmental sustainability, advanced construction, digitalisation and smart facilities management.

Key highlights included a three-day International Built Environment Conference, specially-curated tours to some of the best-in-class projects in Singapore, four co-located trade shows, networking events and student engagement programmes.  IBEW 2019 also featured special events such as the Breakfast Talk for CEOs, an exclusive forum for C-suite executives from the built environment; and BE Connect, an international business-matching platform for buyers and investors from the region to network and engage with top urban solutions providers equipped to meet their interests.

For more information on IBEW, visit www.ibew.sg.