This coming October, FMC will once again be in attendance at this year’s UK Digital Construction Week (DCW) at the Excel in London. Last year’s event brought industry 4.0 controversy, disruptive technology, increased collaboration and delicious croissants from the café. Aside from great pastries, there was an acknowledgment by many who attended DCW that the industry is beginning to look through the same lens.

So, what can we expect this year? Will the technology continue to wow? Will BIM remain as the major talking point? Will the croissants live up to expectations? One thing is for sure, we can’t wait to be there.

Review – DCW 2017

We learnt so much from our 2017 trip and met some great people along the way! Here are the top 3 things we took away:

1. BIM was the focus of the event. Having been a hot topic for many years, it came as no surprise to find thought leaders offering real examples of application, technologies and barriers to growth specifically for BIM Level 2. However, at times I felt there was an overemphasis on BIM and not enough on other construction processes and technologies.

2. There was so much technology on show, some of which blew us away. Peri, Robots in Architecture, Soluis Group and Igloo Vision are just a handful of companies which stood out. Although some technology was very early in its development, it was clear that Digital Construction is in very capable hands.

3. I got an overwhelming feeling of togetherness within the industry. Many organisations were united in achieving a common goal. Collaboration and integration with other software was taken very seriously and above all, everyone was working towards increasing construction productivity with sensible and justified solutions.

DCW 2018

DCW is the only event across the UK focused on innovation and technology in the built environment. Therefore, the media coverage and hype surrounding the event is huge! We’re expecting more technology, connectivity, collaboration and of course, BIM.

One thing we’re particularly interested in is whether “industry 4.0” is beginning to gain real traction in the industry. Many shrugged off the suggestion that we’re experiencing a fourth industrial revolution, however traditional industrial markets are continuing to push the boundaries and are making huge strides towards achieving operational excellence.

The Industry 4.0 theatre will once again be running some interesting seminars based on disruptive technologies and the future of the industry. Last year many felt this stand represented a misrepresentation of the industry. Will people finally acknowledge its relevance?

FMC Digital Construction

Gareth Back and Joe Coleman will be attending and meeting the fantastic people behind Digital Construction technology. They will be talking through some of the results from our recent Digital Construction survey where we spoke with the industry’s leading sales and talent leaders about, recruitment, salary ad industry trends in 2018.

Ahead of the event, you can download our UK Digital Construction Report Part 2 – Hiring Trends 2018 here and our UK Digital Construction Report Part 1 – Sales Talent 2018 here.