Abstract:

Technology is the paradigm of this millennium. Nowadays society is dominated by digital processes and new forms of communication that are applied in all contexts, from culture to production. Technological innovation produces qualitative progress, which leads to evolution from the “information society”, characterized by the unidirectional distribution of predefined data, to the “knowledge society”, which encourages the cognitive participation of each individual with increasingly qualified skills. However, while people are constantly attracted in their daily lives by the possibility of experimenting with cutting-edge solutions and products, there is a strong resistance to change in professional activities. In the Industry 4.0 era, the construction industry is going through a period of structural change to keep pace with the speed of innovation process. In this direction, the use of electronic tools such as building information electronic modelling has been encouraged by the European Parliament for public works contracts and design contests through the adoption of the 2014 European Union Public Procurement Directive. In line with these European policies and with the dematerialization and digitalization actions, the Italian New Procurement Code was the first legislation including this subject. This provides for the progressive obligatory adoption of these practices for public works from 01/01/2019. The introduction of methodologies such as BIM (Building Information Modelling) is an essential aspect to improve collaboration, efficiency, and productivity in the entire construction value chain. Against this background, it is essential that officials of the Public Administration, as clients of the works and managers of the public Real Estate, receive appropriate training that can help them to govern the change taking place. Software is only a means to achieve the goals, it is on the methodology that it is necessary to focus attention. The University plays a critical role in providing the right interpretative keys and supporting the Public Administration in dealing with an increasingly accelerated and complex society where digital technologies, but also globalization, introduce new challenges and needs. The educational activity that has been undertaken combines the need for advanced training on innovative and multidisciplinary issues, achieved through the provision of theoretical lessons, with moments of participatory learning that enhance the effectiveness of the teaching. The approach to the topics is addressed from the point of view of the organizational processes, the operational tools and the cultural change they require. The aim is not only to transfer notions but to share a vision of knowledge that leads to the development of interdisciplinary skills for the conscious adoption of methodologies and tools. Once the potential is understood and the possible applications are known, it will be easier to apply the concepts to professional activities. A well-educated Public Administration makes it possible to introduce into the processes instruments that can foster a powerful balance between efficiency and costs. This can generate an extremely positive framework that would be reflected on all the actors in the construction process, with impacts also on citizens. The analysis refers to the training experience of a group of Piedmont Region officials on the use of BIM and new technologies to improve the usability of the built heritage data.

Keywords:

Building Information Modelling, Public Administration, Knowledge society, Methodology, Vision.