We are delighted to welcome Professor Jeff H Rankin to Cambridge in a special edition of the DRF Lunchtime Clinic on Tuesday, 14 January 2025. Prof Rankin will be speaking on Connecting the Dots: Research Clusters and Innovation Phases in Canadian Construction.
Abstract
A recent environmental scan identified the research activities within the Canadian construction industry under the theme of “construction digitization and productivity”. The scan was completed as a series of workshops held across the country and subsequent data collection with academic researchers and industry practitioners. Data was received from 38 principal investigators representing 17 academic institutes and 203 active research projects. The analysis of data employs a framework for summarizing research activity in the construction industry from dimensions including: the objectives, the methodologies employed, the technologies developed or implemented, and the nature of the research on an innovation scale. Results identify: 1) research clusters in expertise and phases of innovation, 2) gaps in research areas, and 3) needs for knowledge mobilization. This presentation is intended to broaden the perspectives of researchers in our field and provide some insight and discussion as to how we all contribute towards the innovation ecosystem within the global construction research community.
Biography
Jeff H. Rankin, PhD, PEng, FCSCE is a Professor and Research Chair in Construction Engineering with the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of New Brunswick (UNB), Canada. He is a founding director of UNB’s Off-site Construction Research Centre (OCRC) and serves in leadership roles including Department Chair at UNB, and President-Elect of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering. Jeff is a fourth-generation builder and started in construction as a labourer. His construction engineering experience includes many types of buildings and larger infrastructure projects such as the Confederation Bridge (a 13 km structure). His doctorate at the University of British Columbia research focused on integrated construction management systems based on information standards (precursors to IFCs and BIM). Before joining UNB, Jeff was the Executive Director of an innovation broker for the region’s construction industry. Jeff’s current research program focuses on improving the performance of the construction industry through innovation and the appropriate adoption and implementation of technology.