To improve efficiency, cut down on costs, facilitate collaboration and streamline project workflow, the property and construction sector should proactively pursue digital transformation to stay ahead of the game, which is the consensus among the 250 industry leaders, academics and government officials who attended the Annual Conference of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (HKIS) held today (21 September 2019) at the JW Marriott Hong Kong.
Celebrating the 35th Anniversary, the HKIS boasts more than 10,500 members and is the only surveying professional body incorporated by ordinance in Hong Kong. As the group’s flagship event, the annual conference is one of the region’s most high-profile gatherings for industry leaders and professionals from the government and private sector.
Speaking at the conference, the Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, said that the Government has been facilitating the construction industry in adopting innovative ideas and harnessing advanced technologies and innovative construction methods to enhance productivity and improve cost-effectiveness, including, amongst others, pushing forward the adoption of Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) and the fuller use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) as well as the newly launch Centre of Excellence for Major Project Leaders.
Following Mr Wong’s inspirational welcome speech was the speaker series, with the welcome speech made by HKIS President Sr Dr Tony Leung Ka-tung. “We live in evolving times as technology continues to transform the way we work. Not only do these changes promise opportunity for our professionals, but they also promise the potential of higher living standards and lower living costs for the wider population,” he said. “Our government and community leaders have certainly understood the need to push Hong Kong further into becoming a smart city.
It is this sentiment that drives today’s conference theme – “Innovation: Revitalising Construction”.
“The conference examines and encourages the early introduction of smart technologies, projecting future, framing the current landscape trends and spelling out the challenges and opportunities ahead as the industry continues to undergo a digital transformation,” Sr Dr Leung added.
Among the most keenly anticipated talks was that by Sr Dr Stephen Lai Yuk-fai, JP, Managing Director of Rider Levett Bucknall Limited, on the causes of rising construction costs and the importance of developing and using new technologies to enhance construction efficiency amid economic uncertainties Dr Alexia Nalewalk, Professor, American University, further delivered an insightful lecture on the risk analysis of construction costs. Speaker from Singapore Mr Allan G H Tan, Managing Director of United Tec Construction Pte Ltd, talked about the benefits of employing Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction, including shorter construction time, better quality and less environmental pollution.
As Hong Kong continues to transform itself into a smart city, the deployment of a citywide Common Spatial Data Infrastructure (CSDI) and how to integrate it with BIM/GIS will lay the foundation for Hong Kong’s future success as a smart city, especially when it comes to master and site planning. Mr Chan Siu Bun, Ben, Assistant Director/Survey & Mapping of the Lands Department, briefed the audience on the CSDI implementation progress and what it means for building professionals. Sr Paul Tsui, Managing Director of Esri China (Hong Kong) Limited, delivered a talk on how mapping and analytics software could help with early development planning.
“All the issues discussed play an important role in shaping the future of our industry, and consequently, our city’s living standards,” said Sr Edwin Tang, Chairman of the HKIS Annual Conference Organising Committee and HKIS Vice-President. “The HKIS aims to use the annual conference as a platform to discuss about the future development of Hong Kong with professionals from various sectors to boost construction industry standards.”
List of speakers and topics downloadable here.