News from the Global Infrastructure Initiative—September 2019

Welcome to our September 2019 edition of Voices, exploring the theme of scaling modular construction. Modular construction is experiencing a new wave of innovation and investment, as discussed in our report, Modular construction: From projects to products. In this edition, we discuss what it will take for the construction industry to go beyond modular, optimize the mix of new solutions, and collectively shape the projects of the future.

We have a busy schedule of Global Infrastructure Initiative roundtables in the latter part of 2019. In early September, we hosted a roundtable in Sydney on “Preparing for Australia’s next wave of infrastructure delivery.” More than 40 Australian industry leaders participated in spirited discussions, and we invite you to read our recap. In Washington, DC, we hosted a roundtable on “Creating the right urban infrastructure for shared, seamless autonomy” and, consistent with this issue, one on “Modular construction: From projects to products” in Chicago. For the rest of this year, we have roundtables scheduled in San Francisco, Johannesburg, Milan, and Houston. Visit our roundtable and innovation site visit pages to see past and future events.

Last year, we announced that GII had convened a cross-sector industry working group in North America to accelerate the adoption of digital technologies across the construction value chain. This volunteer effort has made significant progress, and the Construction Digital Transformation Association (CDTA) has launched as a nonprofit with ten founding organizations. The CDTA members are actively working on driving industry change and are inviting public and private asset owners to join the group. Members have already begun sharing learnings and establishing mechanisms to investigate data trusts and project piloting. Interested parties should contact Keven Brough.

Looking ahead, our December issue will cover the topic of “The workforce of the future.” We hope you enjoy this edition of Voices, and we welcome your thoughts on any of our GII programs. If you have comments or would like to subscribe a colleague to Voices, please contact us at info@giiconnect.com.