Digital Construction: DigiPLACE presents its Reference Architecture Framework for a construction platform

DigiPLACE is the first ever proposal targeting the digital transformation of the construction industry to receive funding from the Directorate‑General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology of the European Commission. In the context of the EU Industry Week 2021, the DigiPLACE partnership presented its main outcome, a Reference Architecture Framework (RAF) to enable a future European digital industrial platform for the construction sector.

Digital construction is complex as it is impacted by regulations, a long chain of actors, standardisation works, public and private initiatives, business model disruptions and more. This is why, DigiPLACE’s RAF aims at putting the existing references into a comprehensive and structured vision, while improving the common understanding of the ongoing evolutions and educating on the disrupting potential of digital platforms for the sector. At the same time, DigiPLACE also identifies the gaps in the current landscape and the actions to be carried out to fill them, in order to facilitate the development of platforms based on a common vision. The underlying objective of these actions is the creation of a level playing field for both construction stakeholders and digital services providers that will support the European Union’s goals in terms of sustainability, competitiveness, and digitalisation

After months of intense work, DigiPLACE has succeeded in developing a framework made of a comprehensive set of common guidelines for building and deploying interoperable digital platforms for the construction sector across Europe (public or private, local or European), with the intention to enable common ecosystems of digital services. This RAF is based on an EU-wide consensus involving a large community of stakeholders, that also resulted in a strategic roadmap for the successful implementation of this architecture.

EBC has participated to the setting up of the RAF, providing the expertise and feedback from its construction SMEs and craftsmen, which are ready for the digital transition as long as digital tools really alleviate costs and burdens in their daily activities.

In case you missed the DigiPLACE event “Towards a RAF for a Digital Industrial Platform for the Construction Industry”
held last 16 March, you can now watch the recording of the full session and reach the slides presented during the event :

The DigiPLACE initiative is nearing its end, with many discussions on how best to ensure the long-term application and use of the guidance provided by the RAF. Join us on 27 May for the final DigiPLACE conference, featuring policy makers, representatives of the construction value chain, as well as practitioners and researchers on digital construction! More info available soon.

To know more about DigiPLACE, please visit the website www.digiplaceproject.eu