A $28 million grant has been awarded to a Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) including Lendlease, BlueScope and Monash University to reduce waste, delays and emissions from Australian building projects.
The Building 4.0 CRC research initiative, which also includes organisations such as the Donovan Group, The University of Melbourne, Sumitomo Forestry and CSR, aims to transform how buildings are designed and manufactured in Australia.
The $28 million grant will leverage a combined $103 million from industry, government and research partners, bringing the total research budget to $131 million over seven years.
Building 4.0 CRC will focus its research on the use of digital solutions, new products, and processes to transform the country’s building industry to a tech-enabled, collaborative future where the customer can be at the centre of each project. It aims to make the building experience better while also making the process faster, cheaper and safer.
It is funded by the Australian Government Cooperative Research Centre Program, which has the potential to boost the economy through job creation and position Australia as a leader in the advanced manufacture of buildings.
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The CRC will be based at Monash University in partnership with the University of Melbourne, and in collaboration with the Queensland University of Technology.
The researchers aim to reduce project costs by 30 per cent through digital technology and off-site manufacturing, reduce project delays by 40 per cent, reduce construction waste by 80 per cent and cut carbon dioxide emissions in half.
Monash University’s Mathew Aitchison, Interim CEO of Building 4.0 CRC said the CRC demonstrates that industry and government can come together to solve the big issues facing the building industry today.
“By leveraging this government funding and our deep collaboration with research and training partners, we are committed to putting the Australian industry at the forefront of global developments,” he said,
Lendlease Digital CEO Bill Ruh said the company was proud to be part of the Building 4.0 CRC.
“We are committed to creating a safer, more sustainable industry, and our investment in the CRC is essential in the research and development of solutions to achieve this vision,” Ruh said.
Building 4.0 CRC comprises 30 leading players in commercial industry, university, industry bodies and government partners, including: Monash University, University of Melbourne, Lendlease, Donovan Group, BlueScope Steel, CSR, Utecture Australia, Bentley Homes, Coresteel Australia, A.G Coombs, Ultimate Aluminium Windows, Queensland University of Technology, Holmesglen Institute, Hyne Timber, Shapeshift Design Technologies, M-Modular, Schiavello Manufacturing, Gelion Technologies, YNOMIA, Fleetwood, Master Builders Association of Victoria, PrefabAUS, Salesforce, Sumitomo Forestry, Green Building Council of Australia, Standards Australia, Taronga Venture Advisory, Victorian Building Authority and the Victorian Government Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions.