With Mr. Aidan MERCER in Hong Kong
By Ar Prof Ada FUNG, BBS Founding President, Hong Kong Alliance of Built Asset & Environment Information Management Associations (HKABAEIMA) Founding Chair, buildingSMART Hong Kong, China Chapter
Mr. Aidan MERCER, Managing Director of buildingSMART International, completed a fruitful visit to Hong Kong on 19–20 August 2026. The two‑day programme, organised by Ar Prof Ada FUNG, BBS, enabled productive sharing of success stories, practical experience, research excellence and the way forward in advancing smart and digital transformation of the built asset industry with openBIM — both in Hong Kong and globally.
The programme featured four major events hosted by different organisations, with the following themes:
- Flagship event hosted by EMSD: openBIM at EMSD with buildingSMART International
- High‑level openBIM sharing hosted by HKU’s Department of Real Estate and Construction with DEVB, buildingSMART International, researchers and industry partners
- Digital Innovation for Capital Works on Railways hosted by MTRCL
- Adopting openBIM for statutory submissions under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) hosted by the Buildings Department
At each event, Ada shared Hong Kong’s openBIM journey over the past seven years, while Aidan presented a comprehensive global update on buildingSMART International’s latest developments. Highlights included the forthcoming IFC X standard (targeted for ISO certification by 2028), global openBIM mandates in more than a dozen countries and the expansion of buildingSMART’s domains, including Railway and Regulatory.
The host organisations welcomed participants and shared both success stories and challenges that stimulated further dialogue. The programme brought together world‑class experts, government officials, leading researchers and practitioners, ensuring strong representation of Hong Kong’s ecosystem.
1. Flagship Event: openBIM at EMSD with buildingSMART International
On 19 August 2026, the programme began with a flagship event at EMSD. Mr. Vincent CHOW, JP (Acting Director of EMSD), warmly greeted the audience onsite and online. Mr. Francis YUEN (Engineer/BIM, EMSD) delivered a detailed presentation on their latest developments, including optimising openBIM model file sizes and developing an openBIM web viewer as a foundation for user‑driven BIM applications. The event concluded with a visit to EMSD’s InnoZone, showcasing cutting‑edge technologies that have won multiple Geneva Awards.
2. High‑Level openBIM Sharing at HKU
That afternoon, HKU hosted a high‑level sharing session. Professor Weifeng LI (Associate Dean), Professors Frank XUE, Junjie CHEN and PhD students presented cutting‑edge research from joint labs, integrating openBIM with LLMs, blockchain, digital twins, AI and robotics for a smart and collaborative future.
Mr. Johnny CHAN, JP (Deputy Secretary (Works), DEVB), reflected on Hong Kong’s BIM mandates and shared a powerful vision for the future, positioning BIM as the backbone of smart and digital construction, with openBIM as the international standard for interoperability and sustainability. Mr. Howard TONG and Ir Simon NG introduced the HK Construction Industry Employees General Union and the new HK Smart Construction Practitioner Association. Mr. Felix CHAN showcased an innovative in‑house BIM authoring web app enabled by IFC X.
The evening concluded with a celebratory dinner marking the 7th Anniversary of HKABAEIMA.
3. Digital Innovation for Capital Works on Railways
On 20 August 2026, Ir Eva KONG (General Manager, MTRCL) and Ir Dr. Henry Wong (Head of Digital and Innovation, Capital Works) introduced MTRCL’s spectrum of capital works, highlighting future‑ready project delivery through digital innovation, full lifecycle BIM application and digital construction. The session was followed by an Innovation Hub Experience Tour, including the state‑of‑the‑art immersive CAVE (Computer Aided Virtual Environment).
4. Adopting openBIM for Statutory Submissions under the BO
That afternoon, Mr. YUE Chak Sang, Lawsons (Assistant Director, BD), presented automated compliance checking for statutory submissions under the BO, along with awards received from Geneva and the World Building Congress 2025. Mr. Dickson MAK (Director, SBI) outlined the roadmap for adopting openBIM for statutory submissions, with a mandate planned by 2029. Mr. Tim LO (BEAM Society) shared a research study on adopting openBIM compliance checking in Hong Kong.
The programme concluded with HKABAEIMA’s Fellowship Dinner at Motto by Hilton Hong Kong SoHo, bringing together participants and industry stakeholders to celebrate shared milestones and chart the next steps for digital transformation across the built environment.
