The construction industry is the least digital in the world, and it has an investment share in innovation among the lowest. Roberta Vitale, president of the Young Ants – National Association of Builders, spurs the industry and the public administration to increase productivity and to speed up the process of safeguarding Italian real estate assets.
Poor innovation means poor productivity, between 2005 and 2014 there was a substantial decline in productivity in the construction sector, pushing Italy back, along with other sectors in crisis.
Digitalizing Public Administration and Forming Entrepreneurial Culture
There are two macro-sectors where to radically intervene to make a change: entrepreneurial culture and industrial policy.
According to Roberta Vitale, manufacturers today have no choice, they must achieve a cultural and expertise level consistent with digital evolution (Industry 4.0), a revolution that sees digitalization transform all sectors of the industry, enhancing their performance and competitiveness , and cutting down on waste and lack of transparency.
On the other hand, entrepreneurs and operators must be able to count on a solid national plan, which is based on Industry 4.0, but also focuses on the construction sector, where the difficulties of the industry can not be fought solely with super depreciation but with other numerous initiatives such as high-level training, etc., which follow a real development plan for the industry.
The challenge of the Industry 4.0 revolution, says Roberta Vitale, must be collected at the same time by both parties, digitalized and high-performing municipal offices on one side and trained and qualified entrepreneurs on the other.
Digital document for private and public properties
Roberta Vitale, at last, launches an appeal to the Government: the obligation for digital documents for all private property buildings . A digitalized archive that would provide detailed information on the state of health of buildings and infrastructures, necessary if you want to build up on maintenance or reconstruction interventions as a result of collapse or damage.
Public activities could also benefit from a digital revolution, with the help of Italian universities, to base the strategic plan of interventions and immediate operation.
The intervention of Roberta Vitale, president of Ance Giovani, took place in Rome on 19 May 2017, at the XVIII National Youth Conference “Mattoni4.0 – We Digitize an Old and Noble Craft”.