This research is focused on realizing productivity benefits for the delivery of transport infrastructure in the Australian construction industry through the use of building information modeling (BIM), virtual design and construction (VDC) and integrated project delivery (IPD). Specific objectives include: (I) building an understanding of the institutional environment, business systems and support mechanisms (e.g., training and skilling) which impact on the uptake of BIM/VDC; (II) gathering data to undertake a cross-country analysis of these environments; and (III) providing strategic and practical outcomes to guide the uptake of such processes in Australia. Activities which will inform this research include a review of academic literature and industry documentation, semi-formal interviews in Australia and Sweden, and a cross-country comparative analysis to determine factors affecting uptake and associated productivity improvements. These activities will seek to highlight the gaps between current-practice and best-practice which are impacting on widespread adoption of BIM/VDC and IPD. Early findings will be discussed with intended outcomes of this research being used to: inform a national public procurement strategy; provide guidelines for new contractual frameworks; and contribute to closing skill gaps.

The aim of this research is to investigate the contributory role of innovation brokers in leveraging R&D investment to enhance industry-wide capabilities.

In the Netherlands, 'the principal target group are low-income households (e.g. families with an income below 29,000 Euros/year).1 The cheaper rented housing is intended primarily for this group, which gets housing benefits from the government' (Aedes, 2016). In the United Kingdom (UK), Social rented housing is owned by local authorities and private registered providers (as defined in section 80 of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008), for which guideline target rents are determined through the national rent regime. It may also be owned by other persons and provided under equivalent rental arrangements to the above, as agreed with the local authority or with the Homes and Communities Agency. (UK Department of Communities and Local Government, 2012) And in the United States (US), Public housing was established to provide decent and safe rental housing for eligible low-income families, the elderly and persons with disabilities. Public housing comes in all sizes and types, from scattered single family houses to high rise apartments for elderly families.

Housing is a complex, integrated network of social and economic infrastructure.Improving the overall provision, suitability and socio-economic resilience of our housing system is needed. This requires new typologies to accommodate changing demographics, and to address the critical issues of access and affordability.Current pressure across the housing system is resulting in long waiting lists for social housing and a lack of affordable rental housing. Meanwhile we have an oversupply of some social housing types, indicating a mismatch between what is being supplied, and what is needed. Tiny houses, elder co-housing, inclusionary zoning and the use of vacant infrastructure are some of the emerging approaches available to address current system shortfalls and build future system resilience. Such innovations pose many challenges, including for our planning systems. This paper discusses these approaches, with a focus on both asset and social needs, in order to inform the development of a more accessible, robust and resilient social and affordable housing system. This is done in the context of recent research which developed social procurement criteria which aim to enable more expansive thinking by those developing policy and delivering outcomes in this space.

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