Moving
Construction towards the Digital Economy
The Contribution of the European RTD Programmes
Dr.
Erastos Filos, European Commission, Information Society Directorate-General –
C,
200, Rue de la loi, B-1049 Brussels, erastos.filos@cec.eu.int
Abstract
Europe's future will largely depend on the ability of European organisations to create value, compete in world markets and increase quality of life for the citizens. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are changing radically the environment in which companies and non-profit organisations work. In fact organisational transformation is an essential element in the transition from the traditional to the digital economy. This new economy is characterised by three distinctive attributes: it is global, it favours intangible things - ideas, information, knowledge, relationships -, and it is intensely inter-linked. As more and more organisations prepare to "go digital", few of them seem to recognise the implications this transition will have on their business processes and on the organisation as a whole.
Partnering within a virtual enterprise is the way forward for the construction industry. The main collaborative characteristics of virtual organisations are interactions based on trust and security, knowledge sharing and dynamic interfacing. These are also priority issues in the Information Society Technologies (IST) Programme of the European Commission. The European RTD Programmes had a significant role to play in catalysing change facilitated by ICTs. Besides the notable RTD achievements, important progress has also been made in the area of standardisation and through consensus building between the research and business communities in Europe.