FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Danette Ward
512.494.5254
ward@fiatech.org


FIATECH Publishes a National R&D Agenda for the Capital Projects Industry

AUSTIN, TX, March 31, 2003—A vision and national R&D agenda for fully integrated and automated project processes, coupled with breakthrough advanced technologies that span all phases and functions of the capital project life cycle, has been developed by industry and published by FIATECH.

The Capital Projects Technology Roadmap is an ongoing national initiative, launched in 2001, to build consensus on common goals; guide investments in technology research, development and deployment; leverage scarce resources; and deliver dramatic improvements in business processes and cost-effectiveness. Providing a coordinated industry-wide response, the Technology Roadmap defines what must be done, provides a plan for doing it, and outlines a framework for focusing the collective power of the industry to accelerate the delivery of needed technologies.

“This Technology Roadmap is being developed with input from technical experts from owners, operators, contractors, and suppliers, from industry, government, and academe, as well as from more than a dozen industry associations. With its publication, we have taken one more step toward industry-wide agreement on a plan of action to achieve the revolution in integration and automation that this industry so desperately needs,” explains Ric Jackson, Director, FIATECH.

An example of the value of this Roadmap is the request from the U.S. Department of Commerce to ensure that the new realities of Homeland Security were reflected in it. Another example is the passage of the Enterprise Integration Act of 2002, which authorizes the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to work with industry on “an initiative of standards development and implementation for electronic enterprise integration.”

"FIATECH is working with industry and non-governmental organizations in the construction, aerospace, automotive, and manufacturing industries to ensure appropriations for this landmark piece of legislation. This Roadmap is a crucial unifying element in this effort,” elaborates James Porter, Vice President, Engineering and Operations, E.I. DuPont de Nemours.

The vision model for the Technology Roadmap integrates nine functional elements into a comprehensive system to achieve total enterprise integration, including detailed and prioritized program plans for each of the following areas:

  • Scenario-Based Project Planning
  • Automated Design
  • Integrated, Automated Procurement & Supply Network
  • Real-Time Project & Facility Management, Coordination & Control
  • Intelligent Job Sites
  • New Materials, Methods, Products, & Equipment
  • Technology- & Knowledge-Enabled Workforce
  • Integrated Data & Information Management
  • Intelligent, Self-Maintaining/Repairing Operational Facilities

The complete Capital Projects Technology Roadmap—including an Executive Summary, a Strategic Overview, a Tactical Plan, a Current State Assessment, and a Homeland Security Supplement—is available at the FIATECH web site. This is an evolving initiative that will continue to expand as new programs are identified, launched, and executed by FIATECH and other industry organizations that are committed to addressing all elements of the vision model.

“Our industry simply cannot afford to spend our resources replicating the discovery of things that we already know,” explains John Voeller, Senior Vice President and Chief Knowledge Officer, Black & Veatch. “The Capital Projects Technology Roadmap Initiative can provide the sweeping vision we have long sought to focus the resources of our industry, and the powerful depth that we need to define what must be done to attain that vision. I encourage the members of this industry to join together to implement this roadmap as a national priority.”