R&D MOU Drafted Between GRAPHISOFT and Surbana Jurong

GRAPHISOFT and Surbana Jurong Consultants, a Singapore-based multi-disciplinary urban, infrastructure and management services consultancy firm, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) effective September 3, 2018, to cooperate and collaborate in BIM, Virtual Design & Construction (VDC), and Integrated Digital Delivery (IDD)-related research and development to combine their different areas of expertise. GRAPHISOFT will focus on BIM and related software technologies, while Surbana Jurong will focus on design and construction domain.

This cooperative agreement allows the two firms to collaborate in promoting and developing digitalized technologies for implementation in the AEC industries of Singapore and the broader Asia region. The parties will also apply GRAPHISOFT’s technologies in the development of VDC and IDD processes and workflows, in combination with other open BIM platform solutions.

Managing director of GRAPHISOFT Asia, Tibor Stahl, provided answers to our questions about the collaboration

Will the collaboration focus specifically on creations for the Asian market?

In the initial stage, the collaboration will focus on Singapore, then extend to Asia, followed by a potential global roll-out.

The MOU is good for three years. What does that mean exactly?

Both Surbana Jurong and GRAPHISOFT consider the strategic cooperation to be a long term one. However, defining the terms (validity period) of the MOU is considered to be contractual best practice; as every agreement – an MOU – must have a start date and an end date. Furthermore, an end date in general encourages the Parties to review the progress, performance and achievements against the originally set objectives, whilst also facilitating the process of potential adjustments and realignments.

The MOU is valid for three years and will include knowledge sharing, joint workshops, and the promotion of each other’s expertise and successes at various industry events

From the press release it appears that the collaboration will also develop and include other openBIM platform solutions. What is meant by that?

There is no single BIM software that can do everything that is required in the design, design analysis, documentation, construction and operation phases of built assets. Thus, stakeholders must use various combinations of software depending on – among many others – the intended outcome, the processes adopted, individual and company capabilities and competences, etc. Since these software must be able to collaborate and exchange data as smoothly as possible following the Open BIM approach “… to the collaborative design, realization, and operation of buildings based on open standards and workflows. …” (https://www.buildingsmart.org/)
Both Surbana Jurong and GRAPHISOFT are fully committed to following and adopting the Open BIM approach as part of the collaboration.

Is it expected that specific products will arise from the collaboration?

It is too early in the collaboration process to be able to answer this question.

What are some of the goals of the collaboration?

Joint development and promotion of the digitized technologies of BIM, VDC and IDD for implementation in the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry; advance Surbana Jurong’s technological leadership; Surbana Jurong to develop related competencies with the aims of being able to deliver high value-added services to their Clients and improve Surbana Jurong’s productivity and efficiency; promote each other’s technological expertise

Does this mean that GRAPHISOFT will only work with Surbana Jurong with regard to design and construction knowledge?

GRAPHISOFT has had many other Key Clients similar to Surbana Jurong with whom they have run various types of strategic cooperation projects. Furthermore, GRAPHISOFT will continue to seek and establish new strategic opportunities in the future for the betterment of the aforementioned technologies in general, and its software solutions in particular.

Quotes from CEOs:

“As one of the largest Asia-based urban and infrastructure consultancies, Surbana Jurong constantly seeks to advance our technological leadership. Our partnership with GRAPHISOFT will allow us to further leverage BIM technology, improving our productivity and efficiency,” said Wong Heang Fine, Group Chief Executive Officer, Surbana Jurong.

“GRAPHISOFT is excited to partner with Surbana Jurong to develop and promote BIM, VDC and IDD solutions in Singapore specifically and Asia in general,” said Viktor Varkonyi, Chief Executive Officer, GRAPHISOFT. “Surbana Jurong’s knowledge across the various sectors of the AEC industries of the region will serve the architectural, engineering and construction professionals well,” he added.

Tags: 3D, AEC, architects, architecture, Asia, BIM, building design, CAD, collaboration, construction, design, engineering, Graphisoft, mobile, MOU, Open BIM

Categories: 2D, 3D, AECCafe, architecture, BIM, building information modeling, Cloud, collaboration, construction, engineering, infrastructure, integrated project delivery, interactive display, openBIM, project management, site planning, sustainable design

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