Trailblazers in architecture, engineering, construction, and design and manufacturing were lauded for their innovations at the ASEAN Innovation and Building Information Modeling (BIM) Awards 2023.

In a grand ceremony at the Sime Darby Convention Centre that saw 250 attendees, the event celebrated regional milestones in digital design and construction.

Speaking at the event was Guest of Honour Yang Berhormat Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi, Minister of Works.

This is the third time this awards programme had been held in Southeast Asia but was the first time it was celebrated in Malaysia. The Malaysian iteration of the awards was co-organised by Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR) and Autodesk, a global software company known for its 3D design, engineering, and entertainment software solutions.

"This collaboration signifies the tremendous strides our nation has made in embracing digital transformation. The architecture, engineering, and construction sectors are at the cusp of a revolutionary transformation, and it is awards like these that recognize and further the spirit of innovation.

"By fostering such collaborations and platforms, we are not just recognizing excellence but also motivating others in the industry to strive for greater heights,” he said.

Underlining the country's commitment, the Minister highlighted the recent review of policies under the 12th Malaysia Plan and National Construction Policy 2030 to bolster the adoption of advanced technologies, especially BIM, to support sustainability, efficiency, and innovation in construction.

“The fundamentals of the National Construction Policy (NCP) 2030 are set to adapt and adopt future trends progressively as well as embracing digital technologies into the sector.

“These digital technologies such as BIM are required to be incorporated into each workflow and process, enables the transformation of analog information into digital that is easier to generate, analyze, store and administer across all aspects. The use of BIM can benefit the construction sector through increased productivity and quality throughout the life cycle of project,” he said.

Serene Sia, Managing Director, ASEAN, Autodesk expressed her enthusiasm about the collaboration with JKR.

"Digital transformation has started to change nearly everything about how business operates. Autodesk has been at the forefront of this transformation for 40 years, guiding the industry through four waves of transformation,” said Sia.

Referencing Autodesk’s transformative journey, Sia noted the shifts from drafting tables to computers, then to BIM-based design, collaborative cloud-sharing, and now connecting data across building lifecycles.

This year, the awards garnered an impressive turnout with a record 36 submissions from Malaysia and 153 from across the ASEAN region. The range of projects was diverse, from presidential palaces to healthcare centers, showcasing the myriad ways Autodesk technologies have been instrumental in spearheading industry innovations.

“The competency development of JKR staff and industry players shall be carried out in line with the number of BIM projects. Thus, accreditation is the best way to give recognition to the competent practitioners. Therefore, the JKR BIM Awards and Autodesk Innovation Awards was the significant program to recognize individual competency and best project implementation”, he added.

The success of this year's BIM Awards sets a promising precedent for future collaborations and underscores the vast potential for further digital advancements in the ASEAN construction and design sectors.