Innovation trajectories in infrastrucure and construction ecosystems

Project leader: Mario BOURGAULT, Polytechnique Montréal

Other researchers: Gonzalo, LIZARRALDE, Université de Montréal | Nathalie DROUIN, Université du Québec à Montréal
Partners: Chaire Pomerleau (Polytechnique Montreal), Chaire Fayolle-Magil Construction (Université de Montréal), Kheops, PMI-Montreal

4POINT0 themes: We propose to study ‘Construction and Infrastructure’ as a distinct ecosystem. But it may also be considered as a subset of ‘Mobility’ ecosystem if the 4POINT0 Scientific Committee chooses to do so. As a Quebec construction ecosystem (or ‘construction cluster’) is currently being created and is likely to grow over the next 5 years, our project would fit into the ‘emergence’ and ‘operations’ lifecycle stages, as outlined in the 4POINT0 grant application.
Start and end dates: June 2019 - April 2024

Infrastructure and Construction represent a very important economic sector in Canada and abroad. Despite high growth projections in the industry, scholars and observers call for more innovation and increased productivity in infrastructure and construction. The slow adoption of digital technologies in the building sector, they argue, is largely disappointing. Over the last few years, the development and adoption of digital technologies in the industry has focused primarily on the integration of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and other software-supported methods. Several experts believe that the adoption of these methods is only the beginning of a movement towards a digital revolution in the construction sector. But other forms of innovation are also required in products and processes to respond to the needs of contemporary societies. By building on previous knowledge and experience, we will generate highly relevant knowledge that will support the ecosystem involved in designing, building, and operating better and more environmentally-responsible solutions. This project focuses on the qualitative analysis of innovation trajectories to anticipate the path of new solutions in the construction industry. The results will permit to create better projects and policy in Canada, and will increase of our knowledge of innovation challenges and opportunities.

This content has been updated on 2024-01-30 at 19 h 01 min.