Training options to put BIM at the heart of the construction sector

Published on 27/02/2018

On 21 February 2018, the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) organized a conference at the Belval Innovation Campus (Luxembourg) entitled “Passez au BIM: Formez-vous!” [Switch to BIM: Training options]. Around one hundred professionals from the construction sector took part in the event, which covered the BIM (Building Information Modelling) work process, allowing the creation, management and sharing of digital information in a construction project throughout its lifecycle.

During the event, they found out about the advantages of putting this kind of process at the heart of their activities, in particular, improvements in the design, set-up and operation of their construction projects. This is a considerable advantage made possible by the creation of a digital model, which the participants add to throughout the project, not only leading to better performance by the team but also and above all contributing to the quality of the build.
Participants were also able to find out about a wide range of training offers in this area in the Greater Region:

in Luxembourg: the Training Institute for the Construction Sector (IFSB), the Order of Architects and Consulting Engineers (OAI), BIM Consult, as well as the following companies: Greenock CAD service and CBC Informatique;
in Belgium: the Faculty of Architecture of Liège University and the following companies:Tase Solutions and SCIA;
in France: the Training & Evaluation Platform of the National Institute of Solar Energy (INES) and the Technical and Scientific Centre for Construction (CSTB).

BIM driven by a successful European project

This event was organized as part of the BIM4VET European research project, financed by the ERASMUS+ programme and intended to develop a European expertise matrix for those working in BIM, as well as an evaluation method of the maturity of BIM expertise. Coinciding with the end of this research project, the project partners were able to present their main results. After two and a half years of research, LIST and its British and French partners, the University of Cardiff and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) were able to finalize:

a framework for the definition of expertise, responsibilities and profiles of those working in the area of BIM;
tools for the self-assessment of skills maturity and recommendation of training programmes via a collaborative work table.

These results contributed directly to a process undertaken by the different professional associations within the construction sector in Luxembourg (grouped together within the framework of the Technology and Innovation Resources Centre for the Construction Sector (CRTI-B)) to propose a training cycle on BIM. This well-thought out, joint effort will lead to a training offer in 2018 that takes into account the direct needs of the whole industry and favours increasing collaboration between trades (via BIM).

LIST continues its commitment to BIM

Although the BIM4VET project is coming to an end, LIST researchers remain committed to BIM through the BIMEET project, for which they are coordinators. Financed by the H2020 programme, BIMEET will continue the research begun into BIM skills and training and will concentrate particularly on the question of energy performance in buildings, which is one of the major stakes for the construction sector today.