FCON-TECH
CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY SUMMIT

In this International Keynote Address – Darren Bechtel will examine the innovation Brick & Mortar Ventures are seeing, the tech trends they see shaping the global industry and what construction technology they are investing in and why? We ask – how will this impact the industry in Australia and what opportunities will there be for forward thinking companies to deploy the next generation of ConTech across their organisations? 

The mission of Brick & Mortar Ventures is to invest in and grow emerging companies who are developing innovative software and hardware solutions for the industries of construction, architecture, engineering and facilities management. 

Darren Bechtel, Founder & Managing Director, Brick & Mortar Ventures (USA)

In this session we hear how some contractors have moved beyond digital engineering to leverage real and tangible business insights through the collection and analysis of data. We discuss how these insights can be applied to foster best practice across operational activities such as improving your supply chain, procurement, sustainability and enhancing overall organisation productivity.

• Data: Examining the evolution of construction innovation through the collection and analysis of data in order to future proof your organisation
• Examining how data can be used to drive organisation wide activities that enhance cashflow, procurement, supply chains, sustainability best practice and more within construction
• How have construction companies overcome the integration piece by working together more effectively – across multiple projects, with multiple stakeholders to make better data driven decisions?
• Discussing the ongoing investment, staffing, and partnering implications that need to be considered with the ongoing evolution and onboarding of new construction technologies

Panellists

Matthew Kehoe, Director, Digital Build, Office of Projects Victoria, Department of Treasury & Finance

Georgina North, Head of Technology & Innovation, Laing O’Rourke

Doug Zuzic, Chief Information Officer, ADCO

Gregory Koteras, General Manager Applications and Emerging Technology, John Holland

Heinrich Kukkuk, Executive General Manager - Information Technology, McConnell Dowell

Facilitator

Kurt Robinson, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, SIMPEL

Inflationary headwinds and productivity issues have the potential to derail construction if not enough is done to change the way we build. Bradley Hall has been involved in construction for over 20 years and has recently driven innovation by implementing cutting edge technology such as 3D printing and driving its application across the construction process. In this address he looks and what the industry needs to do to automate and truly innovate to enable Australia to become a ConTech leader globally.

• Fostering collaboration and not disruption as the key to true innovation
• Looking at lessons from Amazon and how they can be applied to construction to improve productivity
• Looking at the benefits of perceptible technology and its applications to the construction sector
• Examining the role sustainability will play as a driver of construction innovation, and the on-site tech that can support this

Bradley Hall, Group Managing Director, Chatham Homes

• Filtering through the technological advancement hype to evaluate realistic technology integration goals for your project, organisation and the construction industry 
• Exploring the current and emerging technology applications that are going to become best practice on an industry level such as AI, Digital Twins, BIM, Data Analytics and more – filtering through the technology hype to evaluate the best tech and the realistic integration and deployment goals  
• Building a common understanding across project stakeholders to optimise collaboration, communication and the effective use of technology 
• Understanding the importance of open communication early in the project lifecycle to understand the individual needs, objectives, and goals of each party and formulating collective targets 

10 Minute Mini Insight Presentation:

Rebecca De Cicco, Principal, Digital Enablement, Aurecon, Founder, Women in BIM 

Panellists

Alan Dunn, Chief Information Officer, Richard Crookes Constructions

Sally Archer, Digital Engineering Manager, Built

Clive Parsons, Director - Digital Construction Office, Mirvac

Shanoc Halliday, Enterprise Customer Success Manager, Bluebeam

Facilitator

Rebecca De Cicco, Principal, Digital Enablement, Aurecon, and Founder, Women in BIM

In this case study we look at supply chain tracking and traceability and the tools available to navigate supply chain risk. We look at what has worked, what lessons have been learnt and how Roberts Co are using technology to manage supply chain and mitigate risk across their projects

• Identifying the main handoffs that need to be established between project partners from design through to construction
• Ensuring the automation and streamlining of information sharing to avoid duplication of work, data misinterpretation, and speed up processes
• Exploring cloud-based collaborative solutions and how you can optimise their use to ensure a single source of truth for the entire project lifecycle

Tom Brodie, Manager - Facades and Innovation, Roberts Co.

In this session we bring together delegates to participate in a 40-minute interactive roundtable discussion, led by industry experts. Join the table that most interests you and discuss the latest technology and industry trends with likeminded individuals.  

Roundtable 1: Examining your cashflow and other financial considerations to make when procuring new technology 

Led by: Rexine Jones, Chief Financial & Information Officer, Hansen Yuncken 

Roundtable 2: Understanding and using Predictive AI / Chat GPT across construction 

Led by: Emile Rademeyer, Executive Director, Creative Strategy, VANDAL 

Roundtable 3: Developing Cybersecurity resilience across construction 

Led by: Dr. James Cameron, Executive Director at Australian Construction Industry Forum (ACIF) 

Roundtable 4: Building & sustaining a culture of innovation to ensure continuous technological 

improvement 

Led by: Varhun Prasad, Director of Solutions Engineering, ANZ, Cupix 

Roundtable 5: Ho do you invest in the latest tech when you’re a Tier 2 on a limited budget with tight margins across your projects  

Roundtable 6: Addressing cross-platform interoperability challenges  

Roundtable 7: Embracing robots in the construction workflow 

Roundtable 8: Establishing & maintaining network connectivity in the field to ensure security, certainty & safety 

Roundtable 9: Using reality capture to streamline the collection of data on the jobsite  

Roundtable 10: How to identify innovation opportunities & make the right investments 

Roundtable 11: Streamlining the transfer of information from design to construction to increase project certainty  

Roundtable 12: Improving communication and technology adoption between teams and across project sites   

Rexine Jones, Chief Financial & Information Officer, Hansen Yuncken

Emile Rademeyer, VANDAL , Executive Director, Creative Strategy

Dr. James Cameron, Executive Director, Australian Construction Industry Forum (ACIF)

Varhun Prasad, Director of Solutions Engineering, ANZ, Cupix

In this session, we hear from 4 leading ConTech start-ups who are each delivering solutions to meet the ever-evolving challenges of modern construction. The founders will share their insights into why they have developed their tech solutions and how they transform key aspects of the construction industry:

Talk 1: Construction management software:

Talk 2: BIM software

Talk 3: Data analytics & dashboarding tools

Talk 4: Field tracking software

Pieter Rautenbach, Infrastructure & Construction Manager, Deswik

• Exploring the main solutions for model overlay, the specific benefits offered, and their set up requirements

• Defining the expected outputs for the use of AR & VR technologies in the field and the main performance metrics that determine success

• Discussing how to optimise your BIM model for import and how and when to update it based on the evolution of the project

Claudelle Taylor, CIMIC, ICT General Manager, Innovation Integration

With 18 years’ experience Daniel started his career as a home builder before getting a degree in technology and implementing various projects for Hansen Yuncken. In this case study we will hear how he is driving the use of emerging technologies such as AI and the impact it is having across various projects. In the case study, Daniel will explore:

• Integrating AI within your core technology to create efficiencies across workflows
• Creating a common platform to link silos across different project and technologies

• Managing the security of your data, both in-house and onsite
• Training the next generation who understand tech, but don’t necessarily have the in-depth construction background
• Examining the lessons learnt through implementing AI and the benefits it brings in reduce costs, improve productivity and timely project delivery

Daniel Smith, National Digital Technologies & Development Manager, Hansen Yuncken

• Understanding the learning style of your audience and the training methods and frequency that resonates best 
• Going beyond technology-specific training towards process-specific training to create the right efficiencies internally 
• Building a learning and development platform that ensures ease of access to all training material and documentation 
• Identifying the key stakeholders that are involved in the pursuit of innovation internally 
• Fostering an environment of critical analysis and feedback across project and organizational levels to identify meaningful innovation opportunities 
• Discussing the culture shift of how failure is viewed in the context of innovation and empowering your innovation champions to take ownership of their initiatives 
• How do you invest in the latest tech when you’re a Tier 2 on a limited budget with tight margins across your projects

Panellists

Claudelle Taylor, CIMIC, ICT General Manager, Innovation Integration

Andy Rampton, Group Executive – Construction, Lendlease

Alice Hanna, Head of People and Culture, Kapitol Group

Facilitator

Varhun Prasad, Director of Solutions Engineering, ANZ, Cupix