Presentation

The 7th European Conference on Product and Process Modelling (ECPPM, www.ecppm.org) will be held in Sophia Antipolis France, on the 10-12 September 2008. It is an exciting time in the AEC e-Business and e-Work world and we aim to make this one of the best conferences yet.

The ECPPM conferences have provided discussion platforms for topics of key importance for the AEC/FM industry and the ECPPM 2008 focus will be on two main themes:

  • structuring of product and process information for enhanced collaborative teamwork and information sharing in this fragmented industry, and
  • advanced Computing, Information and Communication Technology addressing the challenges for the AEC/FM industry in the upcoming years.


The conference will continue exploration of the leverage expected from ICT deployment in undertaking AEC/FM processes. It will provide attendees with up-to-date overviews and detailed information on the achievements and trends in research, development, standardisation and industrial implementation of product and process information technology.
It will be an open forum for leading specialists from industry and research communities on developments in different countries worldwide, bringing together expertise, knowledge, ongoing research and visions, for the evolution of the expanding world of ICT-based applications that  address information, process and project management in the dynamic construction sector.
The conference will also confirm and refine the RTD agenda for ICT in Construction, This will combine people (key players from industry, academia, research centres) with research programmes from the EC, national initiatives, the European Construction Technology and national Platforms, and current projects from FP6, FP7 ERABUILD, etc.
A special feature of ECCPM 2008 will be to further develop industrial involvement of both established players and newcomers. This is vital to the identification of impacts and benefits of ICT in the context of exploitation and penetration within the construction sector. Industry questions will be invited during the event that will be discussed in planned sessions led by relevant experts but which allow interactive debate.

The ECPPM 2008 conference will take place in the Agora Einstein Center (www.agora-einstein.fr), a meeting and exchange hub in the very heart of the Sophia-Antipolis innovation park, located on the exquisite French Riviera, between Nice and Antibes, 15 minutes from Cannes. The area hosts over 1200 hi-tech companies focused on technology and communications, biotechnology, etc., as well as research centres and universities.

The hoster of the ECPPM 2008 conference is CSTB (Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment – http://international.cstb.fr), the French national research centre in the construction sector. CSTB has three main business areas : RTD/consultancy, evaluation/certification, and dissemination/publication, and integrates research workers and experts in a wide range of topics such as building materials and techniques, equipment, safety, thermal energy, acoustics, aerodynamics, lighting, environmental and health issues, advanced ICT, as well as economics and sociology. The aim of CSTB is to promote innovation at a large in both the private and public sectors by offering a large panel of services and activities: R&D projects, doctoral research, technology transfer, assistance and consulting, support to policy making, training for professionals, animation of R&D and innovation networks at French, European and international levels, and business incubation.

Organisation, scientific management and research orientation of all ECPPM conferences are supported by the European Association of Product and Process Modelling EAPPM (http://eappm.ecppm.org/) that includes representatives from almost all countries across Europe - from Greece to Iceland, and from Bulgaria to Portugal. EAPPM itself is a non-profit organisation for institutions from academia, research and industry that promote the application of computer science in the construction area.

The special session "eBusiness in construction industry" is organized by e-NVISION project consortium within the conference. The workshop aims to share innovative research issues and practical experiences, and to facilitate discussions about eBusiness issues in construction and related industries.

 
The InPro Project is supporting the ECPPM 2008 conference. InPro is an integrated project of 18 European companies from construction sector, IT, research and consultancy. InPro will introduce 3D-design and Building Information Models in the European construction sector by developing and establishing a model-based and collaborative way of working in the early design phase of a building. This new way of working will facilitate open collaboration between partners and enable design considering the building’s whole lifecycle.