BIM in Switzerland

In an interview with Swiss national newspaper, Tagesanzeiger, Mark Baldwin explains how the swiss construction industry is changing. (Source: Smart Media, Tages Anzeiger, 15th January 2018. Text: Matthias Mehl) PDF download for print here Building Information Modeling (BIM) is sustainably transforming the construction industry. In this, experts agree. But what concrete effects this process will have and how Switzerland can assert itself in the digital revolution raises many questions. That’s why we talked to BIM expert Mark Baldwin about the opportunities and challenges of digital architecture – and what mental hurdles the industry must overcome. Mark Baldwin, you are on the board of the Swiss Chapter of buildingSMART and, as head of BIM-Management at Man and Machine Switzerland AG, are engaged with the topic of about Building Information Modeling. What is BIM for you? BIM should be seen in the context of the entire digitalization, which currently covers all areas of the economy as well as private and public life. Simply put, BIM is the digitization of the construction industry. How far is Switzerland in terms of digitalization? The importance of this topic is general understood. In April 2016, the Federal Council passed its “Digital Strategy”. This concerns the digitalization of the entire economy and is not specific to the construction industry. Nonetheless, the strategy is relevant to construction and has a direct impact on its activities. In short, the strategy’s goal is to give Switzerland a leading position in the digital world. BIM plays a key role in bringing the Swiss construction industry to a higher level. But is the Swiss construction industry ready? There is a digital scorecard that assesses Switzerland in different aspects of digitalization. For example, in the field of “basic digital infrastructure” we are very strong and achieve a score of 93 percent. The sectors “ICT” and “International Competitiveness” are also rated very well. Although the construction industry is not specifically analyzed in this index, the assessment of “Industry 4.0” – with a score of just 29 percent – makes it clear that there is still room for improvement. And how far is Switzerland compared to other countries? In my career, I have had the opportunity to observe the development of BIM abroad – in Europe, but also in the Middle East, Asia and Australia. In most of these countries, the BIM methodology is well established. And I have to admit: Switzerland has been a late adopter. So are we already behind in the process? We have to catch up, but Switzerland is certainly on the right track. In the last 18 months, BIM has developed strongly. Now much more is being done – and not just talked about. Are there differences in how BIM is implemented in different countries? Yes there are; and they can be traced back to the respective cultural-differences. In Anglo-Saxon countries, for example, innovation is more driven by pragmatism. One sees potential for improvement and seeks to realize this. In the German-speaking countries, however, and especially in Switzerland, the approach