The date of March 16^th saw the establishment of the Institute for Innovation and Development of Construction Industry of Tongji University(herein referred to as the Institute). Within the current context of the transformation and upgrading in the construction industry, the institute aims to fully utilize multi-disciplinary resources in Tongji University(herein referred to as the University) including Civil Engineering, Architecture, Economics, Management and Computer Science, to cooperate with authorities, industry associations, enterprises in the construction industry as well as other research institutes and to carry out theoretical researches, academic exchanges, industry collaboration and talent cultivation concerning the managerial innovation in the construction industry. The institute strives to rank among the top think-tanks in the field of innovation and development of China’s construction industry.

Present at the inaugural meeting were representatives of the University, including:

Fang Shou’en, Party Secretary of Tongji University

Wu Zhiqiang, Vice President of Tongji University and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering

Wang Tiehong, Chairman of China Construction Industry Association, Former Chief Engineer of MOHURD and Honorary Dean of the Institute

Tan Yueming, Former Director of Zhejiang Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Construction

Pei Xiao, Deputy director of Shanghai Management Committee of Housing and Urban-Rural Construction

Kang Chunjiang, Vice President and General Secretary of Shanghai Construction Trade Association

Ding Shizhao, Founder of Research Institute of Project Administration and Management, President of the Institute

Li Yuan, Dean of Tongji SEM

Jin Fu’an, Party Secretary of Tongji SEM

Wang Guangbin, Dean of the Institute, Deputy Dean of Tongji SEM

Also presented at the meeting were representatives of the first organizations that donated to the Institute, including:

Yang Baoming, Chairman of Shanghai Luban Software Co., Ltd.

Han Aisheng, Chief Executive of Hangzhou Newgrand Technology Co., Ltd.

Yan Qiang, Executive Vice President of Shanghai Luban Financial Information Service Co., Ltd.

Tang Fen, Chief Executive of Broad Homes Industrial International Co., Ltd.

Moreover, representatives of 22 director units of the Institute also came to the meeting, including:

China Tiesiju Civil Engineering Group Co., Ltd.

Port and Waterway Dredging Department, China Communications Construction

China Construction Eighth Engineering Division Co., Ltd.

Shanghai Construction Group Co., Ltd.

Zhejiang Construction Engineering Group Co., Ltd.

Zhongtian Development Holding Group Co., Ltd.

Shanxi Construction Investment Group Co., Ltd.

Longxin Construction Group Co., Ltd.

Experts present indicated that, the construction industry, as a pillar of China’s national economy, has played a significant role in improving people’s production and living standard as well as promoting a sustainable social and economic development. However, it has long faced problems such as slow technological progress, backward production methods and heavy resource consumption. A good news for the construction industry is that nascent technologies including BIM, AI, Cloud Computing and robots provide a crucial opportunity for the reform of conventional production and management, which requires the industry to transform and upgrade in the direction of an intelligent, industrialized and green construction.

In his remark, Fang Shou’en, Party Secretary of Tongji University, said that traditional construction industry is bound to transform and upgrade so as to meet people’s expectation of better life with better housing, thus presenting both a challenge and an opportunity for relevant disciplines in Tongji University. The hope is that the Institute, integrates high-quality multi-disciplinary resources in the University, such as Civil Engineering, Architecture, Economics, Management and Computer Science, utilizes academic resources along with advanced technologies from outstanding enterprises, takes into account the government’s needs, in order to help in the transformation and upgrading of China’s construction industry through the innovation and application of a mass of practical managerial theories and technologies. Thus the Institute will be able to make its due contribution to the innovation and development of the construction industry in China.

Academician Wu Zhiqiang pointed out in his address that, faced with a high human and material cost in various production activities, it is essential to make good use of intelligent technologies in the transformation of construction industry from 1.0, 2.0 to 4.0. In its later development, the Institute is advised to stick to the innovation and development of the industry and carry out researches focusing on establishing an evaluation system of the intelligence level of construction enterprises as well as releasing related industry reports. Moreover, the institute needs to strengthen the cooperation between companies within the industry so as to boost the original innovation in the construction industry.

Ding Shizhao, President of the Institute, also noted in the meeting that, the innovation and development in the industry involves many research problems including organization, management, economy and technology. The Institute will actively explore the innovation of its own organization and strive to build an open and collaborative operating system. What’s more, it will deepen cooperation with the government, enterprises and organizations inside and outside the industry in the field of topic selection, research progress and application of results. The Institute hopes to provide highly valuable managerial thoughts, measures and tools for the transformation and upgrading of the construction industry.

Wang Tiehong, Honorary Dean of the Institute, stated in his address that, in the year of 2017, “Opinions on Promoting Sustainable and Healthy Development of Construction Industry” issued by the Council of States was a guide aiming to accelerate the upgrading and promote the sustainable and healthy development of the industry. In this context, the establishment of the Institute is of great significance. He hopes the Institute will engage in the deepened reform, green development and technology breakthrough in construction industry and study its issue of innovation and development with a large pattern, a broad thinking and a grand strategy. Moreover, the researches the institute carries out must stick to the theme of the new era, and try to achieve significant research results that have profound influences on the country, the industry and its enterprises through a systematic and academic research and a close cooperation within the industry, in order to boost the innovation and development of China’s construction industry until it achieves a leading position in the world.

Finally, Wang Guangbin, the Dean of the Institute, introduced to the distinguished guests the development vision, organization structure and work planning of the Institute. The Institute consists of five research center–Center for Construction Industry Policy Studies, Center for Construction Industry Modernization Studies, Center for Construction Industry Digital Technology Studies, Center for Construction Enterprises Management Innovation Studies, Center for Intelligent Construction Studies. The cooperation of government-industry-university-institute will be strengthened in the fields of the strategy and policy of the innovation and development in construction industry, the innovation of construction enterprises’ management model, the innovation of the management model of construction projects, intelligent and green construction technologies, etc.

During the inaugural meeting, seven experts were appointed as Advisors of the Institute and they are:

Wu Zhiqiang, Vice President of Tongji University and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering

Xiao Xuwen, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Chief Expert of China State Construction Co., Ltd.

Li Guoqiang, Professor of College of Civil Engeering of Tongji University

Tan Yueming, Former Director of Zhejiang Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Construction

Pei Xiao, Deputy director of Shanghai Management Committee of Housing and Urban-Rural Construction

Ji Xun, Former Deputy Inspector of Jiangsu Management Committee of Housing and Urban-Rural Construction

Kang Chunjiang, Vice President and General Secretary of Shanghai Construction Trade Association

The inaugural meeting of the Institute for Innovation and Development of Construction Industry of Tongji University was a success.

Vice President Wu Zhiqiang, Prefessor Wang Tiehong and donors were inaugurating the Institute.