A BIM Infant Industry is a concept that refers to a specific stage in the adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) within a construction industry in a particular region, usually a country. This concept characterizes the situation of the
- Limited BIM adoption (i.e., only a small number of industry participants are actively using BIM in their projects),
- Early implementation (i.e., the industry is in the initial stages of transitioning from traditional methods to BIM workflows and practices), and
- Challenges and resistance (i.e., implementing BIM projects can be challenging)
Challenges and resistance are likely to be due to factors such as
- Lack of awareness and understanding of BIM benefits,
- Insufficient skilled professionals and resources,
- Resistance to change from established practices, and
- Difficulty in achieving the desired return on investment (ROI) due to initial costs and complexities.
Identifying an industry as being in its BIM infancy is important for several reasons. Importantly, this identification allows the development of specific and targeted strategies and support mechanisms to foster BIM adoption in the early stages. These strategies may focus on the following.
- Raising awareness and education about BIM benefits and capabilities.
- Developing training programs to equip professionals with the necessary BIM skills.
- Providing incentives and support for organisations to pilot BIM projects and overcome initial hurdles.
- Establishing clear standards and guidelines for BIM implementation.
Recognising the infant stage helps manage expectations and avoid frustration during initial BIM implementation. Achieving widespread adoption and realising the full potential of BIM requires time and sustained effort. Setting realistic expectations is important for the successful adoption of an innovation such as BIM.
Realising the infancy context also encourages collaboration between experienced BIM users and those in their early stages. This allows knowledge sharing, best practice exchange, and mutual learning to overcome common challenges.
With appropriate support and focused efforts, the BIM Infant Industry can gradually mature and transition towards increased BIM adoption.
I introduced the concept of the BIM Infant Industry through my 2013 paper titled “Assessing the BIM Maturity in a BIM Infant Industry”, that I co-authored with Prof. Chitra Weddikkara. This concept was proposed to describe the specific challenges and characteristics faced by construction industries in the early stages of BIM implementation. My main argument was that recognising this “infant” stage is crucial for developing appropriate strategies and fostering successful BIM adoption. I believe that, by introducing this concept, I have contributed to a more nuanced understanding of BIM adoption and provided valuable insights for policymakers, industry leaders, and practitioners working to navigate the early phases of BIM implementation within their specific contexts.
Recommended Reading
LinkedIn Article on BIM Infant Industry
Jayasena, H. S., & Weddikkara, C. (2013). Assessing the BIM Maturity in a BIM Infant Industry. The Second World Construction Symposium 2013: Socio-Economic Sustainability in Construction (pp. 62-69). Colombo: Ceylon Institute of Builders – Sri Lanka. Mirror Link