Exploring the Future of AEC Industry, digital Transformation between the Past and the Future By Dr. Ahmed Stifi, Germany Dr. Ahmed Stifi is a senior project manager at Codema in Germany, a subsidiary of IngĂŠrop Group, a leading engineering consulting company in France. Ahmed hold a degree of MSc. in civil engineering from the Technical University of Darmstadt. After 5 years of international work experience for CDM Smith on large-scale construction projects he became in 2012 a senior research associate and lecturer at the Institute of Technology and Management in Construction at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), where he received in 2017 his PhD degree in construction management with highest honors. Ahmed is an active member of many engineering and international organizations. For example, he is a member of the Association of German Engineers, member of the German Lean Construction Institute and member of the FIDIC Integrity Management Committee. The Architectural, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry plays an important role in the development and economic growth of any country. It erects schools, universities, buildings, industrial structures, and infrastructure facilities, etc. which are the basis for human social and economic systems. AEC is the biggest industry in the world with 13% percent of global GDPxvii. Nevertheless, the industry has one of the lowest productivity rates and its projects suffer from cost and time overrun. Figure 1 below shows that 98% of the megaprojects face cost overruns or delaysxviii. The average cost increase is 80% of original value and the average slippage is 20 months behind original schedule.
Figure 1:cost overruns or delays of megaprojects2
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