CIOB’s Hong Kong conference to probe digital and robotic construction

With the global construction robotics market projected to surpass $7bn in size in the next six years, the Chartered Institute of Building (Hong Kong) will host the CIOB (HK) Conference 2021 with the theme “Smart Construction – Digital and Robotic Application” on Tuesday, 20 April 2021 09:00 to 12:00.

The online event will probe smart construction and encourage the uptake of digital techniques and robotics. Guest of Honour will be Ir Lam Sai Hung, JP Permanent Secretary for Development (Works) from Hong Kong’s Development Bureau.

Citing market research projecting the size of the construction robotics market to reach $7.8bn in 2027 (from $2.45bn in 2019), CIOB President Mark Beard said the industry was on the cusp of a “digital revolution”, and that embracing it would help the industry deliver more efficiently and safely.

“The nature of the skills challenge has changed and will change further due to technology,” he said. “Some jobs will disappear, others will be created. We are likely to see a change from frontline jobs on construction sites to backline jobs, with new jobs we had not thought of five years ago appearing over the next ten years.

“Technology can help us improve the quality of what we deliver our customer but can also help us raise our productivity, our profitability and make the workplace safer for everyone who works in our industry. It can also help us attract a new generation of construction talent, who will bring with them new ideas to solve the problems of tomorrow.”