The Global BIM Network hosted its inaugural General Assembly on 2 December 2021, bringing together representatives from public sector organisations to hear how the growing global digital construction sector is bringing benefits to people and places across the world – helping to build back better from COVID-19 and meet net-zero targets.

Attendees heard from members of the Global BIM Network in three knowledge exchange panel sessions, where the experience of regional and national digital construction initiatives was shared providing lessons learned, best practice and valuable insights for implementing BIM-based digital transformation strategies in public sector-funded projects.

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On 17 March 2021, the Global BIM Summit brought together public sector representatives and investors to discuss the national and regional BIM initiatives that are accelerating the digital transformation of the sector. We discuss the opportunity that digitalization presents for governments and industry; and how we can collaborate as a Global Network to foster inclusive growth and drive shared benefits from an open digital construction sector. 

At the Global BIM Summit, public sector and multi-lateral representatives leading BIM initiatives across the world came together to discuss global convergence and collaboration. Find out more about our speakers here. 

Agenda

Welcome Video Presentation: Global Leaders on International Collaboration 

Hosted by Phillip Bernstein, Associate Dean and Professor Adjunct, Yale School of Architecture 

Session 1 Panel Discussion: Collaborating to Improve the Built Environment 

What is the global value of collaboration across borders? In this session, panelists will discuss how international and regional collaboration has supported BIM implementation and digital transformation across the globe.  

Panellists: Jaroslav Nechyba, Director of BIM Strategy, Czech Republic; Tai Fatt Cheng, Managing Director of Built Environment & Innovation Institute, Singapore; Souheil Soubra, Chair of EU BIM; Carolina Soto, President of Latin American Governments’ BIM Network. 

Session 2 Presentation with live Q&A: Launch of the Global BIM Network 

How can the public sector collaborate across borders as a Global Network to foster inclusive growth and drive shared benefits from an open digital construction sector?  

Speakers: Adam Matthews, Head of International, CDBB; Alanna Gluck, Centre for Digital Built Britain International Souheil Soubra, Chair of EU BIM; Carolina Soto, President of Latin American Governments’ BIM Network; Ngoc-Binh TA, Head of BIM Team, Vietnam. 

Session 3 Panel Discussion: Investing in digital transformation to improve global prosperity 

How can infrastructure investment be leveraged to further digital transformation? In this session, panellists will discuss how multilateral organisations and investments banks are investing in BIM and digital to deliver improved social, economic and environmental outcomes for people and places.  

Panellists: Claudia Suaznabar, Lead Specialist, Inter-American Development Bank; Ilektra Papadaki, Policy Officer, European Commission; Nigel Muoz Oro, Regional Project Management Advisor, UNOPS; Thomas Edward Abell, Asian Development Bank (ADB) Adam Matthews, Head of International, CDBB; Alanna Gluck, Centre for Digital Built Britain International.

Governments across the world are transforming the way infrastructure is designed, built, operated and integrated by implementing Building Information Modelling (BIM) to improve social, economic and environmental outcomes for people and places. By governments and multi-lateral institutions and investment banks encouraging the adoption of BIM across the value chain, there is greater opportunity to deliver both public and private-sector benefits. 

In this series of four webinars held from 3-11 March 2021, public sector, multi-lateral representatives and leading BIM initiatives across the world addressed a global audience consisting of policy-makers, public procurers and built environment professionals from over 90 countries. 

Attendees learned: 

• Best practice in national BIM introduction for the public sector, industry, and the built environment 

• How governments and multilateral investors are driving productivity in the global construction market through introduction of standards and standardization 
• The social, economic and environmental benefits and real-world impacts of digital transformation in the design and delivery of national infrastructure 

Webinar 1 – 3 March 2021

BIM in the UK – Fergus Harradence, Department of Business Energy & Industrial Strategy

BIM in Estonia – Jaan Saar, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications

BIM in Colombia – Valentina Sarmiento Buitrago, Ministerio de Vivienda, Ciudad y Territorio

Host – Adam Matthews, Centre for Digital Built Britain   

Webinar 2 – 4 March 2021 

BIM in Singapore – Tai Fatt Cheng, Building & Construction Authority

EU BIM Task Group – Souheil Soubra, Chair of the EU BIM Task Group

BIM in Argentina – Cecilia Benjardino, Ministry of Public Works of Argentina Republic

Host – Alanna Gluck, Centre for Digital Built Britain 

Webinar 3- 10 March 2021

BIM in the United States – Roger Grant, National Institute of Building Sciences

BIM in Chile – Sebastián Manríquez, Planbim Corfo

BIM in Vietnam – Ngoc-Binh TA, Institute of Construction Economics, Ministry of Construction

BIM in Czech Republic – Jaroslav Nechyba, Czech Agency for Standardization 

Host – Alanna Gluck, Centre for Digital Built Britain 

Webinar 4 – 11 March 2021

UN OPS РNigel Mu̱oz Oro, Latin America and the Caribbean in UNOPS

European Commission – Ilektra Papadaki, Digital Construction and Sustainable Built Environment 

Latin America – Carolina Soto, President of the Red BIM de Gobiernos Latinoamericanos

Inter-American Development Bank- Claudia Suaznabar, Lead Specialist for the Competitiveness, Technology and Innovation Division

Host – Adam Matthews, Centre for Digital Built Britain Play

The Rt. Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the UK Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth addresses an international audience of over 90 countries at the inaugural Global BIM Summit to launch the Global BIM Network for the public sector. The event was held virtually on 17 March 2021.

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Hosted on the CDBB’s website, this massive open online training course (MOOC), launched in 2019, is presented in timed modules including reference materials and explanatory videos. It offers a guided pathway to a standards-based, public sector-led Building Information Modelling (BIM) implementation and is aimed at policymakers and public clients involved with procuring, owning or operating built assets.  

The modules provide an understanding of BIM and the strategic building blocks of its implementation, alongside other topics such as the importance of public leadership in the construction sector’s digital transformation and how digital transformation can create private and public sector benefits.  

The MOOC is delivered in two ways:  

• A self-study option for public sector stakeholders who cannot engage with CDBB’s international team.  
• More interactive reference material that supports and supplements direct engagement with the CDBB’s International team and partner consultants.  

Additional modules will be published over time. 

View the training