By Marie Grieve, Global Vice Chair at Women in BIM and Founder of Costello Palmer Communications
As an industry are we really embracing digital or is it another buzz word that we pass around but have no intention of follow through?
For most companies, going digital, or dare we say transitioning through a digital transformation, requires a shift away from traditional thinking and a move towards collaborative, innovative and future thinking, and for some, taking an experimental approach.
These new ways of working can reveal new solutions which, in turn, can improve customer experience, drive upskilling internally and spur company growth at all levels.
Futurebuild presents the opportunities to truly understand what a digital transformation process looks like and how you can achieve it to make a positive impact through actions and not just words.
I have been working on the Futurebuild Digital Stage programme for several years and for 2025, we are bringing you the FutureX Digital Disruptors Stage where innovation and experimentation are on the bill!
I have curated the programme on this stage to host must-see talks from digital guru’s, plus industry exclusives, launches and game-changing initiatives, many of which are within our Women in BIM community (WIB).
The 2025 show will focus in on the power of data, technology and people to accelerate digital transformation, offering a new vision for digital growth.
What’s new for digital construction in 2025
nima (an industry partner for WIB) is the UK’s hub for all things information management within the built and managed environment, and at Futurebuild, nima will be launching new features of the Information Management Initiative (IMI) – an industry-led and government-supported programme to transform information management practices across the AEC industry.
Delivered in collaboration with Construction Leadership Council (CLC) and AtkinsRealis the IMI will be a game changer for the way information is managed sector wide.
Also new and exclusively at Futurebuild, the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) will launch the new version of its Client Guide which offers practical steps and value-based outcomes for digital transformation of your estate/built assets.
And any talk about what’s new can not exclude Artificial Intelligence (AI). WIB will be discussing AI from an international perspective with speakers from Sweden, Germany, Romonia and Spain.
In an era defined by technological innovation, the construction industry has embraced AI as a powerful tool that is reshaping the landscape of building and infrastructure development. AI, once a futuristic concept, has now become an integral part of construction processes, offering efficiency, precision and innovation. WIB will look at what AI has achieved so far and what comes next.
Digital 101!
Sometimes the only way forward is to look back, not everyone is ready for a full digital transformation and understanding the basics is a great place to start, which is why this stage is offering a series of Digital 101 talks, and they are being delivered by the best of the best in their digital fields, including: Mark Enzer OBE, Strategic Advisor at Mott MacDonald and former Head of the National Digital Twin Programme, Dan Rossiter, Built Environment Sector Lead at BSI and Vice-President Technical for CIAT, Dr Dean Douglas, Digital Consultant at Okana, who’s research resulted in creating a framework for the development and implementation of digital twins in infrastructure assets and Jamie Johnson MBE, Board Director at Bryden Wood, author and global authority on the Platforms approach to Design for Manufacture and Assembly (P-DfMA).
Big names on stage
Other big names on the stage to look out for are from AECOM, Arup, British Land, Fosters & Partners, Grimshaw, Mott MacDonald, Morgan Sindall, National Grid, Sweco and WSP.
Strategy Consultant and Sustainability Advisor at Arup, Sakshi Bansal will be discussing her view on the concept of ESG and how the global energy transition is moving away from a linear economy and embracing a circular one.
Director of Decarbonisation and Innovation for Building Structures at WSP, Diego Padilla-Philipps will present on new ways of optimising design with AI and how we must acknowledge AI’s potential, not as an independent entity but as a conduit for growth.
Chief Value Officer at Cohesive, WIB Regional Lead for Scotland and former Head of BIM at the UK Cabinet Office, David Philp will be looking at how digital and technology are fast tracking solutions to meeting net zero targets.
And at the top of his game, with his acclaimed research into a passport to a circular future, Allies & Morrison’s Head of Design Technology, Ciaran Garrick will be presenting on his reach and discussing what digital tools are needed to drive a circular economy and how to repurpose existing materials.
As we look ahead to Futurebuild 2025, what becomes clear is that artificial intelligence, in all its forms, is already changing our lives, larger steps are needed to achieve a circular economy, the way we manage our information is the key to digital success and looking back, before we move forward is the smart thing to do.
On the FutureX Digital Disrupters Stage, prepare for new thinking, new innovations and don’t be afraid to
experiment!
Check out the full agenda here!
