Earlier this month, the Australian Productivity Commission released its Five-Year Productivity Inquiry report, noting that the productivity of the ‘construction’ industry grew at an average annual rate of 0.6% between 2000-01 and 2018-19 – slower than Australia’s overall economy of 1.5% per year. This highlighted the need for industry stakeholders to collaborate and work towards improving productivity in the sector.
While BICSI members are typically categorised in the ‘ICT’ sector, many of us see ourselves very active in the ‘construction’ sector as well, so regardless of whether you consider yourself an ‘ICT’ or ‘construction’ professional, this information is vitally important to all of us. So please read on.
The report noted: “The construction industry needs to embrace new technologies, materials, and construction methods to reduce its reliance on finite resources and promote a circular economy”, highlighting the potential of digital technologies to improve productivity and efficiency in the construction industry, and the need for industry stakeholders to embrace digital transformation and invest in the development of digital engineering capabilities.
The report is divided into 9 volumes, with each volume available to download from https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/productivity/report:
Of particular note to our ICT industry are the following volumes:
- Volume 4: ‘Australia’s data and digital dividend’ examines opportunities for Australia to get more value out of its data holdings by enhancing its development of innovative new products and services and improving the productivity of service delivery. It also examines what it will take to enable Australia’s communities — particularly regional and remote areas — to benefit from digital technologies.
- Volume 5: ‘Innovation for the 98%’ details the underappreciated importance of innovation throughout the economy, presenting options to encourage more diffusion of innovations, greater use of collaboration and networks to catalyse diffusion and foster spill-overs in the private sector, and new funding and procurement models for diffusion in publicly funded and delivered services.
- Volume 6: ‘Managing the climate transition’ provides a path for Australia to respond to its climate-change challenges at the lowest economy and productivity costs. It considers reform of the safeguard mechanism for Australia’s largest greenhouse gas emitters to transition towards a less costly and more equitable response to climate-change. Efficient climate adaptation options are examined, focussing on information provision, and policy settings for development pathways.
- Volume 7: ‘A more productive labour market’ examines how Australia’s labour markets need to be ‘reset’ to support renewed productivity growth, including reform options in skilled migration, occupational licensing and workplace relations.
- Volume 8: ‘From learning to growth’ recognises the importance that quality education and training systems have for the skills and adaptability of Australia’s workforce. Innovation and its diffusion in schools is considered, in utilising best-practice in teaching, technology, and school operation, as well as improving the quality of tertiary education (universities and vocational) and options to support increased completion rates.