A Collaborative Academia-Industry Approach to Developing a Higher Education Programme in Building Information Modelling

Building Information Modelling (BIM) refers to a new collaborative way of working, which places a digital model at the epicentre of the construction process to inform decisions during the entire lifecycle of a project. In the UK, BIM Level 2 is now a mandatory requirement for all centrally-procured government projects. This is not the case in Ireland but there is evidence that clients are driving this transition via the inclusion of Employer Information Requirements in design-phase tender documentation. This move towards BIM Level 2 poses a number of challenges as it marks a significant shift from the way a project has been traditionally procured, designed, constructed and operated. In this challenge lies an opportunity for the higher education sector to respond by developing appropriate learning opportunities, both for students and industry stakeholders. This paper will chart how a close collaboration between the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) and the RPS Group facilitated the development of a flexible higher education programme in BIM.