WCLF Prospectus

World Construction Leadership Forum
24th-26th September 2024
Cambridge, United Kingdom

Contents
Welcome
Why participate? 4
Forum structure 6
Academic experts 8
Apply now 11
The World Construction Leadership Forum is a global platform that
brings together senior executives from leading construction companies
worldwide to collaborate in a non-competitive environment and to
explore and assess excellence and innovation in the construction industry.
Through this exclusive, invitation-only event, you will gain access to
cutting-edge research and practice, enabling you to tackle the industry’s
challenges, identify the most effective ways to improve outcomes and
apply new ideas to your business.
Facilitated by experts in Construction Engineering from the University of
Cambridge and the Technion, the Forum presents the forefront of industry
research and innovation, providing you and your organisation with access
to the latest advances in productivity, modern methods of construction,
digital technologies, data science and artificial intelligence. This provides a
platform where you and your organisation can actively shape the future of
construction.
Take this opportunity to stay ahead of the competition and at the forefront
of the industry.
•3

Why participate?
Objectives
• To learn state-of-the-art research worldwide and the latest industry best practices in productivity, modern
methods of construction, digital technologies, data science and artificial intelligence.
• To share, challenge and evaluate knowledge and find out what is possible, best practices and lessons learned
• To unlock how common challenges are tackled in a collaborative environment facilitated by academics from
the University of Cambridge and the Technion.
• To build an exclusive international network of individuals and companies at the forefront of innovative
practices in the construction sector that can determine, agree, and effect change within their organisation,
supply chain, and potentially the wider industry.
• To reflect on their own practices and return to their organisations equipped to implement change.
Theme
The World Construction Leadership Forum 2024 theme is “Performance and Productivity”. During the three-day
Forum, we will focus on addressing three key topics. Firstly, we will establish a framework for performance and
productivity that can be used to improve the delivery of your construction projects. Secondly, we will work on
bridging the gap between actual performance and the planning/design phase of new projects. Lastly, we will
focus on fostering a data-driven culture for performance measurement integrated into procurement processes.
Participants
This is an invitation-only event where we have identified and selected a small number of construction companies
worldwide renowned in their countries as leading innovators in the industry. We anticipate a maximum of
approximately 30 participants at this event to maximise the opportunities for interaction and discussion.
Participation will be limited to only one company from any given country and up to three senior executives from
each company. Individuals from each company attending the Forum include C-suite executives (CEO, COO or
CTO), business unit leaders, operations directors, innovation directors, and/or senior project leaders who are
directly involved in operations in a portfolio of projects. This unique mixture of senior participants will ensure
value through the exchange of knowledge on construction supply chains, procurement, strategic decisions, and
innovative operational practices within organisations.
Dates
Tuesday 24th, Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th September 2024.
A welcome reception will be held in the evening of Monday 23rd September.
Location
University of Cambridge’s Engineering Department and King’s College, Cambridge, UK.
•5

Forum structure
The Forum will be facilitated by the Cambridge and the Technion academic team. Participants will be engaged in a series
of activities to maximise learning and collaboration. Each day will be structured as follows:
• State-of-the-art and challenge sessions by the academic team
• Presentations from participant companies
• Presentations from selected technology companies on best practices
• Breakout discussion in small groups
• Plenary sessions
The topics covered by the Forum are:
Performance & Productivity [Day 1]
Research conducted across various construction sites by researchers from Cambridge and Technion demonstrate
a significant gap: there is a lack of consistent performance metrics within and between organisations, coupled
with limited awareness of current productivity levels, production variability, and the underlying reasons for low
performance. This day is dedicated to establishing and implementing a consistent Performance and Productivity
framework at the project, work package and activity levels. It will focus on analysing construction flows, interfaces
between activities, and the reasons for variability. By implementing this framework, senior executives and decisionmakers
will be better equipped to implement effective strategies for performance and productivity improvement.
Project Intent Information: Digital and Virtual Design and Construction [Day 2]
Digital tools are central not only to achieving quality design but also to achieving quality in construction processes.
Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) planning has proven highly effective in removing waste due to improved
prediction and monitoring of constraints in the field. Digital project intent information is an essential component of
the future “Digital Twin Construction” (DTC) paradigm. We will devote this day to sharing best practices in VDC and
its integration with takt-production and collaborative procurement to dramatically improve performance.
Project Status Information: Data science and AI [Day 3]
Most general contractors prioritise overall progress against a project Gantt Chart over the process of construction
itself, in particular the interfaces and flow between discrete activities. Timely and high-quality construction data at
the operational level, showing work inputs as well as outputs, would enable us to manage and improve productivity.
There are a range of technologies and AI methods for data collection and interpretation to inform management
decisions, but challenges remain. This day will focus on automated ways to collect and compile project status
information for improved situational awareness, and exploring its potential value.
•7

Forum academic experts
Academic leads
Professor Campbell Middleton
Campbell Middleton is the Laing O’Rourke Professor of Construction Engineering at the
University of Cambridge. Before Cambridge, he worked for eight years in professional
practice in bridge design and construction in Australia and with consultant Ove Arup &
Partners in London. He is currently Chairman of the UK Bridge Owners Forum, a member
of the Transport Research Innovation Board (TRIB) Infrastructure Working Group and was
recently appointed to the Board of the City Bridge Foundation (CBF) in London. He was a
member of the HS2 Design Panel from 2016 to 2021. Professor Middleton has received
several academic awards and has acted as an advisor or consultant to various organisations,
including the Department for Transport (UK), Infrastructure UK (now IPA), the Highways
Agency (now National Highways), Ministry of Transportation Ontario and the National
Transport Commission in Australia.
Professor Rafael Sacks
Rafael Sacks is a Professor of Civil Engineering at the Technion–Israel Institute of
Technology. His research focuses on Building Information Modeling (BIM), Lean
Construction, and their synergies. Rafael holds the Ashtrom Engineering Company Chair
in Civil Engineering and is the director of the National Building Research Institute at the
Technion, where he heads the Virtual Construction Laboratory. Research projects in the
VC Lab include developing BIM-enabled lean production control systems, BIM technology
and Digital Twin Construction (see CBIM and BIM2TWIN). He has authored 100 papers
in international peer-reviewed journals, 125 conference papers, and numerous book
chapters. He is the lead author of the “BIM Handbook”, currently in its 3rd edition, and the
book “Building Lean, Building BIM: Changing Construction the Tidhar Way”.
Academic contributors
Dr Danny Murguia
Dr Danny Murguia is a Senior Research Associate at the Laing O’Rourke Centre for
Construction Engineering and Technology, where he is leading a research programme
aimed at developing new and improved methods for measuring the performance of major
infrastructure and building construction projects. He holds a PhD in Civil and Building
Engineering at Loughborough University, where he was awarded the Doctoral Research
Excellence Award for the outstanding quality of work during the doctoral studies. He
has a background in Civil Engineering and over twelve years of industry experience in
construction project management.
Dr Brian Sheil
Dr Brian Sheil was appointed as a Laing O’Rourke Associate Professor in Construction
Engineering in 2022. Previously, Dr Sheil was at the University of Oxford first as a
postdoctoral researcher in experimental geotechnics focused on industry-funded research
projects and was subsequently promoted to departmental lecturer in geotechnical
engineering in January 2017. In 2018, he was awarded a Royal Academy of Engineering
Research Fellowship at Oxford and the title of Associate Professor at the University
of Oxford in 2022. His research involves developing new science and technology to
optimise underground construction efficiency, safety, and sustainability. He also teaches
construction engineering in the Engineering department at Cambridge.
Dr Gavin Davies
Dr Gavin Davies is the Construction Engineering Masters Course Director. He joined
the Centre at the beginning of January 2022. He has a long career in the construction
sector, having worked as Engineering and Programme Director for AECOM’s global digital
transformation initiative and as Director in the Engineering Excellence Group at Laing
O’Rourke. Before that, Dr Davies spent 17 years at Arup, working in the areas of building
engineering physics, fluid dynamics and climate change adaptation.
Ronen Barak
Ronen is a Research Associate at the Technion - National Building Research Institute. He is an
expert in Lean Construction and BIM, and an independent advisor enhancing construction
processes and project outcomes through data analysis and technology. His journey began at
the Technion in 2004 as a member of several international research teams, where he also
developed and taught the institute’s first BIM course. Between 2011 and 2018, at Tidhar,
he established the BIM department, adopted Lean methodologies, and led improvement
initiatives. He has mentored teams in the Last Planner System and advised “Construction Tech”
startups. Ronen co-authored “Building Lean, Building BIM: Changing Construction the Tidhar
Way,” a guide on Lean and BIM in construction.
•9

Register now
Registration is by company. The fee per company is £4,000 (no VAT is chargeable). This entitles your
company to send up to three participants.
Fee includes:
• Full access to the Forum's programme
• Daytime refreshments and lunches
• Welcome reception (Evening of Monday 23rd September)
• Buffet dinner (Tuesday 24th September)
• Gala dinner (Wednesday 25th September)
Please note that the same registration fee applies for sending one, two or three participants.
Travel to and accommodation in Cambridge are the participant’s responsibility. Upon receipt of your
registration, we will provide a list of hotels and directions to the venues.
Registration and full payment are required by Friday, 28th June 2024
To register, please select one of the options below:
Registration and payment online by debit/credit card
Registration and payment by other methods
If you have any queries regarding payment and registrations please email wclf-info@construction.eng.cam.ac.uk
Cancellation policy
If your company wishes to cancel the registration for the WCLF, please get in touch with Jan Wojtecki at
wclf-info@construction.eng.cam.ac.uk.
The following refund conditions apply:
• Cancellations received by the registration deadline 28th June 2024: Full refund.
• Cancellations received by 19th July 2024: 50% refund of the registration fee.
• Cancellations received by 16th August 2024: 25% refund of the registration fee.
• Cancellations received after 16th August 2024: No refund.
* In the event that the WCLF is cancelled by the organiser, registration fee will be refunded in full.
Photography and videography
We may photograph and/or video the event and images may be used in (but not limited to) WCLF
promotional materials, social media, and the website. If you or the person you are booking on behalf of
does not grant the release of your or their image, please email wclf-info@construction.eng.cam.ac.uk.
Privacy policy
Personal data, including name, job title, organisation and email address, will only be shared with the Forum
organisers, the academic team from the University of Cambridge and the Technion and other attendees for
the purpose of delivering this Forum and will not be shared with any other third parties. More information
on the University's privacy policy can be found at https://www.cam.ac.uk/about-this-site/privacy-policy
•11

Find out more
For further information about the WCLF please contact:
Jan Wojtecki
Member of the WCLF organising committee
Tel: +44 (0) 1223 332812
Email: wclf-info@construction.eng.cam.ac.uk
Website: www.construction.cam.ac.uk/wclf
University of Cambridge
Civil Engineering Building
7a JJ Thomson Avenue
Cambridge, CB3 0FA
United Kingdom