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 on 21 September at the JW Marriott Hong Kong.
     Speaking at the conference, the Secretary for Development, 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.
     HKIS President Tony Leung said, “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.”
     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. Chan Siu Bun, Assistant Director/Survey & Mapping of the Lands Department, briefed the audience on the CSDI implementation progress and what it means for building professionals.