Construction Digitalisation Research Colloquium and Book Launch

The Construction Digitalisation Research Colloquium and the book launch, hosted by the Centre for Smart Modern Construction (c4SMC) at Western Sydney University’s School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, was held successfully on 23 October 2024. Distinguished Professor Brian Falzon, Dean of the School, opened the event with a warm welcome, followed by an engaging introduction to the c4SMC and the Digitalisation Group from Professor Srinath Perera.

The event highlight was the launch of the book “Managing Information Technology Projects: Building a Body of Knowledge in IT Project Management”, edited by Professor Perera and Dr Robert Eadie and published by World Scientific. Professor Perera, along with chapter authors Dr Samudaya Nanayakkara, Dr Thilini Weerasuriya, Ian Sharpe, Manmeet Kaur and Prasad Perera, proudly presented copies of the book to Distinguished Professor Brian Falzon and Professor Janaka Yasantha Ruwanpura. The book is part of a series of books on Domain-Specific Bodies of Knowledge in Project Management with Professor Mohan Kumaraswamy as Editor in Chief.

Professor Janaka Yasantha Ruwanpura, former Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President of Research (International) at the University of Calgary, Canada delivered the keynote on "Streamlining Construction Productivity Improvement with the Role of a Construction Productivity Officer (CPIO)," sharing some great insights into boosting productivity in construction.

The colloquium also featured updates from Dr Marini Samaratunga on the Developing a Digitalisation Policy Framework for the NSW Construction Sector and Mathusha Francis's research on using machine learning for dispute prediction. A lively panel discussion on "Achieving Productivity through Digitalisation" sparked a productive conversation among industry leaders.

A big thank you to all the speakers and participants! Special shoutout to Dr Samudaya Nanayakkara, Dr Thilini Weerasuriya, the centre HDR researchers, and the WSU CIB Student Chapter members for their hard work in organising the event. Dr Thilini Weerasuriya was the host for the event, while Dr Brendan Kirkland, Deputy Director - Training at c4SMC, delivered closing remarks. The event successfully showcased cutting-edge research and promoted valuable discussions on digitalisation, productivity and innovation in construction.