Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
More than 300 building professionals, property management practitioners, academics, government officials and non-governmental representatives attended the Building Safety Symposium organised by the Buildings Department (BD) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre today (November 14). They explored innovative solutions to enhance building safety and advance the future development of the industry by delving into the application of innovative technologies in optimising building design, repair and maintenance, and construction site safety management.
Speaking at the symposium, the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, said that the use of new technologies to enhance building safety and efficiency is an inevitable trend. The Government is committed to promoting construction digitalisation, including plans to announce a revamped roadmap for Building Information Modelling (BIM) by the end of this year to progressively extend BIM application to private development projects of different scales.
With regard to construction and site safety, Ms Linn said that the Government is actively promoting the Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) method. The guidebook to facilitate cross-boundary trade of MiC modules has been released earlier, along with the implementation of MiC Manufacturer Accreditation Scheme, to encourage more MiC projects. The Government will conduct central procurement on a trial basis in the first half of next year, piloting in the procurement of commonly used materials including steel reinforcement and MiC modules, and will also launch a Project Cost Management Platform to establish a market price database. Moreover, the Government will continue to promote the wider adoption of the Smart Site Safety System (4S) in the industry. Over 550 public and private construction sites have been awarded the 4S label so far.
The Building Safety Symposium is the closing event of Building Safety Week 2025. The theme of this year’s symposium is “Digital Transformation for Safer Building Design, Construction and Maintenance”. In the symposium, a number of local experts spoke on the following topics:• Digital Works Supervision System: Enhancing Safety and Quality through Smart Site Management;
• Urban Renewal Authority in Building Rehabilitation – The Lighthouse in the Darkness;
• Smart Governance: Digital Transformation for Building Control and Sustainability;
• Embodied AI in Construction; and
• Implementation of Advanced Technologies for Maintenance of Existing Buildings.