Navigating Digital Disruption in the AEC Industry

        The Construction Institute is dedicated to supporting our members' journey in digital transformation. Keeping pace with technological developments in the construction industry and their implications is no small task. Artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, smart contracts, robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), manufactured construction, smart materials and other technologies are no longer just on the horizon; they are already in use by industry innovators. What technologies might become standard practice? What will be the timeline for their adoption? How should our members position themselves to take advantage of the opportunities and avoid the risks?
        What technologies might become standard practice?
        What will be the timeline for their adoption?
        How should our members position themselves to take advantage of the opportunities and avoid the risks?
        We will continue to explore these questions by bringing you conversations with experts.
Our Digital Disruption panel at the Women Who Build Summit in April 2022 brought insights from the creators and users of innovative technologies.  In 2022, we are proud to have given our first Digital Leadership Award to Erik Sanford, Director of Virtual Design and Construction at Dimeo Construction Company. Erik chairs the Visionaries Forum planning committee and helped create and moderate CI’s 2021 Tech Trio Series, which you can access here.
        CI is becoming a recognized leader in the field. Together with Executive Director, Nancy Greenwald, Erik has presented at the CI, for CMAA New England, and at the Forum on Construction of the American Bar Association, on the topic of “BIM, Blockchain, and Smart Contracts.” You can read Executive Director Greenwald’s related article here.
What do new technologies really mean for contractors and their relationship with surety bond providers? Read Executive Director Greenwald’s article in the spring issue of Surety Bond Quarterly here. 
        We are pleased to announce the creation of a CI connection with industry tech startups. Through these special memberships, we will bring our members up to date information on new technology developments at a level they can be implemented while mentoring the development of new technologies. The first startup company we will be working with is DigiBuild, a start-up that has created a blockchain-enabled project management platform with multiple facets.  In the coming months, we will be creating more course, events, and content around AEC technology and its implications for all of our members.
​        As always, we want to hear from you. What do you want to learn and what do you want to teach us? Email Executive Director Greenwald.