Attracting Innovative And Tech-Savvy Talents Will Be The Foundation of Construction Digitalisation

As technology advances, the construction industry must also continually innovate and improve efficiency to meet challenges. Ir Thomas HO, Chairman of Construction Industry Council (CIC), earlier visited the factory producing curtain wall and aluminum door and window of the Chevalier Group in Dongguan. He conducted an on-site inspection of their application of technologies such as BIM (Building Information Modeling), how it enhances construction quality and safety, while also exchanged views on training and talent recruitment.

Address Challenges During Design Phase with BIM

Digitalisation is the key to construction industry transformation, as it enhances quality, safety, and sustainability of projects while reducing costs and time. Chevalier demonstrated how they used digital tools such as BIM, big data, and IoT to manage project progress and monitor quality. Their Dongguan factory works on design, building material processing, testing, and building sample. The delegation to had the opportunity to understand the complete manufacturing process and understand the advantages of digitalisations in construction.

Chevalier has been actively implementing BIM technology , assisting its Dongguan's design department to collaborate closely with the Hong Kong design team. During the project design phase, they make good use of BIM to identify and amend any conflicting designs from blueprints and 2D models. They also use 3D printing to identify areas that need attention in the design or construction process. Such previews can uncover and solve problems during the design phase, eventually aiding architects, engineers, contractors, and owners’ work to proceed more smoothly during construction, reducing time-consuming and costly modifications.

Production and logistics are key factors affecting construction schedule. Chevalier’s Dongguan factory has developed its own digital monitoring platform, which allows real-time control over weekly material used, production volumes, and logistics monitoring, ensuring that the process from production to delivery until completion, effectively controlling costs and project progress.

Technological support adopted since the beginning enables faster and more accurate product testing. After receiving aluminum materials that have processed, the factory uses 3D scanning to inspect whether the curvature and shape of the aluminum piece meets the specifications to strictly maintain product quality. The Group’s representative shared their experience from working on an Australian project. As Australia does not allow the use of aluminum materials produced by thermal power in their environmental protection standard the Chevalier team decided to use aluminum materials produced by hydropower. It has reduced their carbon footprint by 50 to 60%. Considering their long-term cooperation with Australia, the Group decided to fully adopt the same standards, aligning with foreign countries and demonstrating Hong Kong company’s ability to meet international requirements.

Seize Opportunities to Attract Young Talents

Young people holds the key to embracing digitalisations of the construction industry. Companies are devising ingenious strategies to attract relevant talents and train staff. Chevalier is eager to attract young technicians to support their use of digital technologies to aid production, such as monitoring platforms, augmented reality (AR)and virtual reality (VR) technologies, etc. Ms. Vivian LEUNG, Assistant General Manager of Chevalier (Aluminium Engineering) mentioned that money is not enough to attract young professionals, it is more important to help them build confidence and provide proper industry guidance.

Ms. LEUNG pointed out that one of the main directions for the company is to let young people and the general public understand that there are more than “construction worker” in the construction industry. various positions and job functions are also available , . They aim to showcase modern industry's application of new technologies to create creating a professional, innovative, and fulfilling work environment, such as using AR or VR technology to simulate buildings, leveraging technological advantages to solve engineering difficulties, . The company is also connected to various academic institutions in the country, including South China University of Technology and universities in Guangdong, as well as Sichuan and other regions to recruit engineering graduates.

CIC has always been committed to promoting the training and development of construction industry talents, advocating cooperation between academia and the industry, providing training courses and funding programs of different levels and categories, to attract more young people to join the construction industry. Ir. Thomas HO expressed that the construction industry is an industry full of creativity and challenges. Training and attracting talents are one of the main focus for the development of the construction industry. He hopes that more young people will recognise the prospects and opportunities offered by the construction industry.