The big issues of the built environment – productivity, sustainability, emissions reduction and digitalization – are global. This was proven once again when I had the honor of giving a presentation on Finnish built environment solutions to international construction industry players in Brazil.
In early April, I participated in the international construction industry conference ENIC 100 (Encontro Internacional da Indústria da Construção), which was held in conjunction with Feicon, the largest construction trade fair in South America.
I discussed with my Brazilian colleagues both the work culture and the future of construction. Our challenges are surprisingly similar: achieving carbon neutrality goals, productivity, digitalization of the industry, housing shortages and the availability of skilled labor. Based on the discussions, I wondered if our small country could help the global construction industry to renew itself. I think we have already done a lot in the construction industry where we are one step ahead of other countries.
Special thanks to Mariana Silveira Nascimento, Leila Sobra, Dionyzio Klavdianos, Nilson Sarti, Renato de Sousa Correia and the entire CBIC Brasil team for the good discussions and the excellently organized event.
Our strength is the ability to build together
Trust, cooperation and shared goals are our everyday life. This has enabled operating models that many consider internationally progressive.
For example, the alliance model, which has already been applied in over 120 construction and infrastructure projects in Finland, enables large and complex projects to be delivered on schedule and within budget, as well as to improve quality. The model of “winning or losing together” is not just a beautiful idea, but a proven method of operation.
We have also risen to the forefront in productivity, environmental issues and digitalization.
According to a study published last year by Aalto University and RT According to the report, a Finnish apartment building is completed in an average of half the number of working hours than in the global comparison group. This is due to a higher degree of prefabrication (concrete elements, KPH modules), the use of digital tools and systematic development of production – for example through synchronous production.
In terms of environmental goals, Finland has ambitiously committed to carbon neutrality by 2035. The built environment is part of the effort: emissions are to be reduced by 78% from 2019 levels. This requires investments in four key areas: clean energy, energy efficiency, low-carbon materials, and materials production and production innovations. In all of these areas, digitalization is a tool that can help achieve the goals.
In the field of digitalization, Finland has moved from words to actions: information modeling is an everyday thing for us and electronic building permits are mandatory. Digitalization enables faster decisions and better utilization of information throughout the entire life cycle. At the same time, the industry's digitalization ecosystem KIRAHub promote the adoption of new technologies – not just in pilot projects, but broadly across the industry.
We have good control over the scaling of different operating models
Finland may not have a large construction volume, but we have the ability to develop and scale high-quality operating models together. With these lessons, we can help other countries that are looking for solutions to the same challenges. Cooperation is key – not only in Finland, but globally.
To strengthen this collaboration, we have created KIRA growth programn and Business Finland, the joint AEC Finnish Fast Track export brand (pictured below). With it, we can offer international customers comprehensive solutions from Finnish companies and thus a faster path towards a more digital, efficient and safer built environment.
See also
- Check out the Construction Development section
- Read the blog post: Are we measuring construction productivity correctly?
Photos: CBIC
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