Our final experts reveal some of their hopes, highlights and predictions for the coming 12 months…
Rob Charlton, chief executive, Space Group
What is your New Year’s resolution?
Not to have a New Year’s resolution, I don’t believe in them as I have never kept one beyond January.
What is your most important lesson learnt from 2017?
Technology has had a huge impact on improving the predictability of construction projects, but without labour, design improvements are worthless. The perpetual skills shortage will not be resolved without investment in new methods of construction.
What innovative technology are you most excited about finding out more in 2018?
I am fascinated by photogrammetry, particularly when it is used on a drone, the potential is huge.
What individual or company is going to be one to watch this year and why?
Mark Farmer has set out some great challenges for the industry in his recently published Review of the UK Construction Labour Model. He continues to reinforce his thoughts and if we can maintain the momentum we are likely to see improvements.
Which construction technology do you expect to see make the leap into more mainstream adoption this year?
We are seeing many new cloud-based technologies and platforms, which enable faster processing and access to data. In 2018 we will see existing platforms develop and new services offered.
What industry event related to construction technology are you looking forward to attending?
It has to be BIM Show Live, in February, which is the first and best BIM conference in the UK.
Dr Jozef Dobos, CEO of software service provider 3D Repo
What is your New Year’s resolution?
To convert more construction companies to web-based workflows.
What is your most important lesson learnt from 2017?
API is the new buzz word of the industry and I guess we are partially to blame for this!
What innovative technology are you most excited about finding out more in 2018?
By far the most exciting will be the integration of 4D modelling with web-based accessibility and ease of use. Being able to seamlessly integrate project planning with 3D models anywhere and at any time is bound to deliver step change in the industry as a whole.
What individual or company is going to be one to watch this year and why?
Ian Keough, the inventor behind Dynamo, the visual programming extension for Autodesk Revit, because he just left Autodesk and is onto a big paradigm shift – stay tuned!
Which construction technology do you expect to see make the leap into more mainstream adoption this year?
IBM’s Node Red, which gives users the ability to link different APIs using a visual coding interface, a la Grasshopper, but directly via a web browser. “Magic” is the word that comes to mind.
What industry event related to construction technology are you looking forward to attending?
British Information Modelling, an event we put on annually, has come of age and we look forward to seeing more exciting presentations and case studies in 2018, from startups and industry behemoths alike.
