Digital tools can significantly improve construction processes – reduce costs, increase efficiency and safety on the construction site. This is the message from the expert conference Digital Technologies in Construction – Innovations, Challenges and the Future, held today at the Croatian Chamber of Economy in cooperation with the Center for Digital Construction Croatia.
“Digital transition represents a great opportunity for the construction sector. Croatia has a good foundation through the digitalization of public administration, but it lags behind in the wider acceptance of such tools, the level of digital competences and investment in human resources. Small businesses pose a particular challenge,” said Mirjana Čagalj, Vice President of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce for Construction and Transport, and announced that the conclusions of today’s meeting will form the basis for the development of guidelines for digital application on construction sites.
“The introduction of digital technologies on construction sites is not just a technical, but a strategic issue. This gathering provides an opportunity for contractors to share challenges first-hand and seek solutions together with others in the profession. The Center for Digital Construction Croatia, together with the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, connects stakeholders so that we can build smarter, faster and more sustainably,” said Monika Mlakić, President of the Center for Digital Construction Croatia.
EU strategic documents increasingly emphasize digitalization as a key to competitiveness. According to the Public Procurement Directive, contracting authorities can require the use of digital tools. In Croatia, we already have certain steps forward – such as the Spatial Planning Information System (SPIS), which already enables the digital management of spatial plans, permits and administrative procedures. Amendments to the Construction Act are also expected at the end of this year, which will introduce the obligation to use BIM technology for the digital model of a building from 2030. The Head of the Sector for the Development of the Spatial Planning Information System and State Property of the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Construction and State Property, Alen Grabar, presented the functionalities of the Spatial Planning Information System ISPU.
“ISPU is a system that provides citizens with easy access to information on the use of space. The goal is to make the spatial planning system transparent and to make relevant data, with easy insight into all processes that occur in space, available to everyone. Through ISPU, we have centralized access to so-called modules such as ePermit, eConstruction Diary, eCatalog, eReal Estate, etc. The importance and usefulness of this system is also evidenced by the fact that more than 110 million monthly views of the ISPU Geo portal, which makes us extremely happy”, emphasized Mayor Grabar.
At the meeting, companies presented their experiences in using digital technologies in the field.
Sanjin Purić, President of the Board of GP Krk and President of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Construction Association, believes that digitalization enables the attractiveness of the profession to be increased and the sector to progress.
“We use a number of advanced technological capabilities both in managing and increasing the usability of equipment and devices, as well as in the part of application solutions that network processes between participants, reduce the possibility of errors, and monitor implementation in real time,” Purić explained.
“Digitalization is shaping the future of everything, including buildings. At Kamgrad, we already use BIM and digital supervision, and we plan to implement IoT and AI tools because we are aware that by embracing digitalization, we remain leaders and maintain a competitive advantage. It is important for us to emphasize that in addition to investing in tools, we are also investing in people, because technology is only as valuable as how well we know how to use it. We expect standards from the new regulations, that is, regulations that will follow practice and encourage digital modernization of the sector,” said Hrvoje Patekar, a member of the board of directors of Kamgrad.
The participants at the meeting discussed the need for a change in organizational culture, without which even the best strategy will not yield results. They discussed employee education, especially in the context of the challenges of educating an increasing number of foreign workers, the development of digital skills, and the alignment of the education system with the needs of the labor market.
SOURCE: Croatian Chamber of Commerce
PHOTO: Anita Krtalić
