Building information modelling has been in the news again recently. Discussions online, special events and extended features in the media such as Construction News indicate that BIM is now a core feature of our industry. That’s why Wales has to take the lead and why the event we held last week was so important. Along with CLAW, the Consortium of Local Authorities in Wales (representing the 22 Welsh local authorities), we started to develop a BIM toolkit for clients in the Welsh public sector. This is vital because if Wales is to continue to outperform the rest of the UK and deliver the major buildings and infrastructure the economy demands then all of our clients – public and private sector alike – have to engage with the supply chain and apply BIM effectively. Whilst some elements of the built environment such as facilities appear a little slow to embrace BIM we can’t afford to wait – we have to be able to deliver BIM level 2 by 2016.

Fortunately we are in the great position in Wales of having forward thinking leaders in our industry – up and down the supply chain. That is apparent whenever we hold events such as the BIM workshop, Nearer to Zero and of course, our CEW Awards. That’s why it makes sense not just to enter the awards and showcase Welsh construction talent, but to support the CEW Awards via sponsorship. After all, everyone wants to be part of a winning formula – don’t they? And right now, Welsh construction is doing better than ever. Let’s keep it up!