COGITO comprises a manifold of software tools and solutions that may be of interest to potential buyers. Products being developed in the context of the COGITO project are also in line with market requirements and respond to stakeholders' needs. Desk research carried out on existing documents, EU or EC regulations and other initiatives or publications show the common idea about the next steps in the construction sector industry.
The most relevant issue is digitalisation, and most guidelines and policies focus mainly on this element. It is not only important with regard to the construction sites themselves or to the architectural design, but it is also important for the whole construction process e.g., project management, risk management or Occupational Health and Safety issues management. The point that was often raised, which still is not fully resolved when we talk about the construction market, is the lack of guidelines and specific laws in the individual EU countries- it needs to be improved and developed. Moreover, the COVID-19 outbreak not only did not stop the progress of digitalisation but also it even caused its acceleration.
The COGITO project and its tools and solutions create great opportunities for the digitalisation of the construction sector industry. Some recommendations regarding the design and implementation of the tools could be formulated based on the aforementioned research performed such as: ensuring better access to online services through guidelines and instructions (e.g. interactive handbooks or digital maturity scans), considering data security aspects in the design of the solutions; guaranteeing the interoperability of different tools, providing training for on-site workers in the use of digital tools, making digital tools and services sustainable (ensuring their energy efficiency, climate neutrality, repairability, lifespan and recycling), benefiting from Digital Hubs for Innovations for better cooperation at Member State level and cross-sector collaboration in terms of design as well as eventually implementing a final product using the obtained project results.
On the other hand, there are also challenges in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sector, including new ones that appear due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and all of them have to be taken into account when developing an exploitation strategy and a business model for the project solution. The latter is the next step in the project development, i.e., the design of an appropriate exploitation strategy. In the following months, the consortium will conduct a series of activities towards the definition of a plan for the exploitation of the project’s tangible and intangible results including an update of the construction market analysis and direct competitors.
The early definition of the project’s exploitation strategy as well as the identification of the project partners responsible for the exploitation of each result will also allow defining the target markets and the suitable actors for the marketization of project outputs. This will also lead to an in-depth analysis of legislative frameworks, availability, cost, construction financing options, information gaps, lack of appropriate tools and vendor support of solutions/components due to the particularities of national/regional circumstances in the selected target markets/countries.
Finally, throughout the creation of a preliminary business innovation plan for the project outcomes, the consortium will identify the value proposition of the project results for the various (existing and emerging) market actors and evaluate those parts of the COGITO system that have the biggest potential to commercialize and monetize.
"I believe that we must make much better use of the great opportunities offered by digital technologies, which know no borders. To do so, we will need to have the courage to break down national silos in telecoms regulation, in copyright and data protection legislation, in the management of radio waves and in the application of competition law"
Jean-Claude Juncker
To know more details about the analysis of the digital tools market and prevailing regulatory frameworks, follow the link HERE! All recent results of the COGITO project are available in the Library of Public Deliverables.
