Construction DX Research Institute proposes policies to avert industry crisis

The Construction DX Research Institute has issued four policy recommendations to prevent a structural crisis in Japan’s construction industry, referred to as ‘X-day’. This crisis stems from severe labor shortages and an aging workforce, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises which constitute 99.5% of the sector. Without intervention, the industry risks losing the ability to maintain social infrastructure and respond to disasters.

The institute proposes accelerating digital transformation (DX) through four key areas:

1. Enhancing on-site DX by relaxing regulations regarding remote inspections and technical requirements to accommodate new technologies. 2. Streamlining administrative procedures by unifying, simplifying, and digitizing construction-related documents, especially at the local government level. 3. Promoting sustainable construction through BIM (Building Information Modeling) and AI, emphasizing the need for high-quality datasets to support AI development. 4. Strengthening disaster response and infrastructure maintenance by integrating digital technologies into routine operations to ensure readiness for emergencies.