Productivity and technological advancements are key to reducing reliance on foreign labour, enabling faster and better quality construction, and increasing the attractiveness of the built environment sector
The fourth Singapore Construction Productivity Week (SCPW) opens from 13 to 16 October 2014 at the Singapore Expo Max Atria and Halls 3 and 4. Held during the National Productivity Month (NPM) 2014 and hosted by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), the annual event aims to attract over 6000 industry practitioners as well as academics from around the world to share and learn about advanced construction technologies and trends in construction productivity.
The theme for this year’s SCPW, ‘Build Smart for a Future Ready Singapore’, demonstrates the built environment sector’s initiatives in raising productivity notably by adopting more game-changing technologies to reduce the sector’s reliance on foreign workers.
Dr John Keung, Chief Executive Officer of BCA, said: “BCA has been leading the exchange of new construction technologies and best practices through seminars, workshops and events like the SCPW. We enable the critical switch for built environment firms by providing funding support under the Construction Productivity and Capability Fund. Focusing on advanced productive technologies such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) and more integrated, volumetric building solutions in the long run can help create better career opportunities for Singaporeans in the built environment sector. Everyone can also benefit from labour-saving construction methods and leaner work processes – with less noise, dust in the construction vicinity, faster and better quality homes and safer workplaces. With a tightening labour supply amidst a strong pipeline of projects in the next few years, the built environment sector must transform itself now to make a quantum leap in productivity.”
Key highlights of the Singapore Construction Productivity Week (SCPW) include:
a. Build Smart Conference, a two-day conference where prominent local and international speakers share construction productivity trends and modern technologies and processes.
b. Inaugural Workshop on Game-Changing Construction Technologies, where international experts and local specialists share the technicalities of advanced construction technologies like Prefabricated Pre-finished Volumetric Construction (PPVC), Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), Prefabricated Bathroom Unit (PBU) and how they enhance productivity.
c. Skilled Builders Competition for skilled construction tradesmen to compete in productive trades.
d. BIM Competition and BIM Shoot Out targeted at students, to use 3D BIM software to put together a building design. The Productivity Race will also have tertiary students compete on their knowledge of construction productivity concepts.
e. BuildTech Asia, the 4th edition of the region’s leading trade exhibition for the building and construction industry that addresses the challenges of building and construction across different vertical industries such as power generation, pharmaceutical, petrochemical and manufacturing.
BCA will also be organising the third International Panel of Experts (IPE) meeting on construction productivity and prefabrication technology from 9 to 10 October 2014. The meeting will include prominent local professionals such as Mr Kwek Leng Joo, Deputy Chairman of City Developments Limited, Mr Pek Lian Guan, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Tiong Seng Holdings Limited and Mr Lim Ming Yan, President and Group Chief Executive Officer of CapitaLand Limited.
International experts from Australia, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom and United States who are highly regarded in the fields of design and construction management, prefabrication technologies and productive methods, will share their insights, review existing productivity initiatives and discuss ways to further improve productivity in Singapore’s built environment sector.
Empowering Innovations to Increase Efficiencies in the Built Environment Sector
BuildTech Asia 2014 is the regional trade show that brings to life leading-edge technologies and innovations that are reshaping the future of the built environment. Held as part of the Singapore Construction Productivity Week, hosted by BCA and organised by Sphere Exhibits, BuildTech Asia 2014 takes place from 14 to 16 October 2014 at Halls 3 and 4, Singapore Expo. The much anticipated trade show aims to help companies as they cope with the demands of an evolving industry facing a tightening supply of foreign workers and higher standards.
This year, BuildTech Asia focuses on advanced productive technologies that have been identified to play important roles in transforming construction productivity. These include Building Information Modelling (BIM), Prefabricated Pre-finished Volumetric Construction (PPVC), Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) and Prefabricated Bathroom Unit (PBU).
Complementing the showcase of construction technologies, the Facilities Management Solutions Expo features specialised technology and innovation in energy management, security and Air Conditioning and Mechanical Ventilation (ACMV) solutions for the facilities management industry. Some highlights include a resource showcase from the Green Trade Project Office Taiwan (GTPO), Shine Green Energy Enterprise as well as an urban sustainability showcase by Surbana International, an award-winning urban solutions consultancy from Singapore.
To date, close to 200 exhibiting brands from nine countries including Australia, China, Germany, Ireland, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan will be showcasing a wide array of products, machineries and cutting edge technologies from Autodesk, Bonco Enterprise, Higa Trading, Hydro Dynamic Engineering, Shinhan Tech-Engineering, Straits Construction, and Zuuse Australia amongst many others. Singapore companies at BuildTech Asia include global providers of fully integrated project consultancy and management solutions systems such as Crown Systems; market leaders in excavation machinery such as Hitachi Construction Machinery; and leading suppliers of mixers and concrete pumps such as ACME Equipment, to name a few.
Mr. Chua Wee Phong, Chairman of Sphere Exhibits Pte Ltd, said: “Sphere Exhibits is happy to be in partnership with BCA over the past three years as we continuously elevate this trade exhibition for the built environment sector to greater heights. BuildTech Asia has been growing from strength to strength and comes at a time when the industry outlook holds many promises. The increase in demand for public housing, commercial and industrial spaces as well as infrastructural developments has brought about an expectation for greater technological breakthroughs in delivering these projects. This year, we are proud to include a special feature that includes Facilities Management as an integral part of the built environment to the trade floor. Facilities Management Solutions Expo 2014 provides a timely response to meet the growing demands and needs of the facilities management industry.”
Asia continues to lead the world’s construction markets, with more than 40 per cent share of the global construction market that is projected to increase to almost half of global construction spending by 2020 http://www.aecom.com/deployedfiles/Internet/Geographies/Asia/Downloads/Asia%20Construction%20Outlook_2014.pdf . Faced with higher quality standards and the increasing importance of sustainable cities, industry players are looking for innovative ways to refresh building processes and harness the latest technologies to improve efficiency and productivity.
Dedicated to make a difference to the future of the industry, BuildTech Asia and Facilities Management Solutions Expo will present the latest products, technologies and industry insights across the building and construction value chain, ranging from heavy machinery and engineering equipment to software and management solutions. More than 6,000 attendees from around the region are expected to attend BuildTech Asia and Facilities Management Solutions Expo 2014. Visitors can also share, learn and succeed in the regional built environment sector through a series of several knowledge based conferences and networking events for local and regional industry players.
Complementing the trade exhibition, the inaugural Facilities Management Conference will address the transformation of facility management through effective and productive use of resources and smart innovation. Jointly organised by Sphere Exhibits and Singapore Institute of Building Limited (SIBL), this one day conference aims to attract about 200 delegates and will feature local and international speakers from leading companies such as Philips Lighting, Cushman & Wakefield and DOCOMO interTouch, as well as government organisations including Ministry of Manpower, Singapore and Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), Taiwan.
For more details on the Singapore Construction Productivity Week, visit www.scpw.sg.
Please visit www.bcaa.edu.sg to register and learn more about the Build Smart Conference and Workshop on Game-Changing Construction Technologies.
Visit www.buildtechasia.com for trade fair information and to pre-register as a visitor. Online visitor pre-registration is open until 1 October 2014.
Register for the Facilities Management Conference at www.fmse.com.sg/2014.
For Media Inquiries, please contact:
Building and Construction Authority
Leong Ee Leng
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M: 9630 8705
Email: leong_ee_leng@bca.gov.sg
Sphere Exhibits Pte Ltd
Rabita Jamal
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Sphere Exhibits Pte Ltd
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Email: rabitaj@sph.com.sg
Sherlyn Chen
Executive Communications Manager
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M: 9176 5403
Email: sherlyn_chen@bca.gov.sg
Vanni Cheong
Assistant Manager, Corporate
Communications & CSR
Singapore Press Holdings
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Email: cvanni@sph.com.sg
