INDUSTRY DAY

The IGLC33 Organising Committee is working on an interesting and diverse programme for the Industry Day that will consists of a combination of invited speakers and submitted proposals. The discussions with the different contributors is currently ongoing but we are already proud to announce the following speakers:

The future of construction (and building regulations) in Japan

Takashi Imamura-san is an expert when it comes to the building regulations in Japan. Based on the country’s ‘unique’ characteristics he will be able to outline what distinguishes those regulations from the rest of the world. He will then continue to explain how these regulations have affected and challenged the construction at Expo 2025 Osaka, and vice versa – how do these regulations apply during a temporary event? During his presentation Imamura-san will also focus on how regulations can be used to shape the future of construction in Japan and promote the reduction of embodied carbon of buildings, the use of wood, recyclability and circularity. What does this mean for the current standard (and regulations)? What is the objective of the new rules? And what would need to change in the Japanese mindset?

With his extensive knowledge of construction, and international involvement, Takashi Imamura-san will also be in the panel of the second session.

Takashi IMAMURA
Councilor/Deputy Director-General
Cabinet Secretariat/Prime Minister’s Office 

After joining the Japanese Ministry of Construction in 1992, Mr. Imamura has mainly served in the housing and city bureaus. He was seconded to UNESCO in Paris from 2007 to 2010 to deal with disaster risk reduction and was in charge of “Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution” at the Cabinet Secretariat of Japan from 2016 to 2018. He also worked at Takarazuka municipal government and the Secretariat for Regional Development Promotion at the Cabinet Office of Japan. Until recently, as the Director of the Building Guidance Division at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) of Japan, he supervised building regulations, including the structural and fire safety regulations. He also supervised the energy efficiency standards and reduction of embodied carbon of buildings. Currently, he serves as the Councilor at the Cabinet Secretariat of Japan from July 2024. He graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1990 and Harvard Kennedy School in 2001.

The future of lean construction

Glenn Ballard's presentation explores the future of lean construction, highlighting the inefficiencies and challenges of the so-called ‘current state’, such as environmental harm, resource waste, and dissatisfaction among customers. It envisions a future where the construction industry thrives by leveraging key lean theories. The presentation emphasises the importance of research, education, capability building, and strategic alliancing in overcoming traditional paradigms and fostering a more sustainable, innovative, and psychologically safe industry. Key strategies for achieving this future include challenging outdated assumptions through rigorous research, educating future generations, and developing a strong, capable lean construction workforce. Through these efforts, the industry can build better projects, improve collaboration across stakeholders, and ultimately create a more effective and responsive construction environment.

Glenn Ballard will also be in the panel of the first session.

Glenn BALLARD
Research Associate, Project Production Systems Laboratory, University of California Berkely, USA

Glenn entered the construction industry as a pipefitter’s helper in 1976, transitioned to construction engineering, and in 1980 was named Manager of Productivity Improvement for a construction division of Brown and Root. He subsequently became an internal management consultant with Bechtel Petroleum, working on all aspects of project delivery, and supporting projects in other Bechtel divisions, such as the South Texas Nuclear Plant. He began a management consulting business in 1987.  In parallel, he began lecturing on productivity and quality improvement at the University of California Berkeley in 1989, and completed the transition from industry to academia in 2005 when he was named Research Director for the university’s Project Production Systems Laboratory. He co-founded the International Group for Lean Construction in 1993, the Lean Construction Institute in 1997, the Project Production Systems Laboratory in 2005, and Lean in the Public Sector in 2007. His primary contributions are the Last Planner System and Target Value Delivery, which is a process for setting project value and cost targets, then steering projects to deliver them. Glenn retired from his position as Research Director in 2018, but continues in a supporting role as a Research Associate for the Project Production Systems Laboratory.

INFORMATION ON CALL FOR PROPOSALS

The content of the Industry Day is under development. Experts, both researchers from academia and industry practitioners in the AEC industry and related fields, were invited to submit a proposal about their contribution to one of the three themes of the Industry Day. Teams comprised of participants from both academia and industry are strongly encouraged.

Format Industry Day

The Industry Day will be divided into three parts, consisting of separate presentations/interviews around each theme and followed by panel discussions. A moderator will be involved.

Guidelines

·      Team details: All participant(s)’ name(s), position(s) and affiliation(s);

·      What is the proposed topic/work title?

·      Which of the three themes does your proposal connect to, and how?

·      How would you challenge and/or contribute to a discussion around that theme? (Include a description of the proposed session.)

Synergies between Expo 2025 Osaka’s theme: ‘Designing Future Society for Our Lives’ and lean

Could you describe the link with the theme of the Expo 2025 event? (Note: the contributor is expected to read into the theme of the Expo 2025 event).

Lean in Japan vs. The World

How do you show that you have involved the beliefs, thoughts, principles that are part of the ‘other’ view? (Note: Depending on where you are from the contributor is expected to research and/or discuss with an expert from the ‘other’ origin – either the Japanese or the non-Japanese part of the world).

Shaping the Future of Construction

What makes your contribution part of the future of construction? And how? What is/are the expected contribution(s) to science/industry? What kind of opportunities do you see for collaboration in this area between academia and industry?

 

Key Dates

·      One-page proposal submission deadline: 31 January 2025 | Closed

·      Provisional acceptance of proposal and comments from local organisation: 28 February 2025

·      Submission of revised proposal: 31 March 2025

·      Final guidance for the proposal development: 30 April 2025

·      Industry Day: 2 June 2025