This year will see great leaps forward on multiple fronts for the impact of digital transformation on physical infrastructure – or in short, infratech. There are a number of key areas in which significant developments will lead to substantial change.
- The rise of the digital twin
A digital twin refers to a digital replica of physical assets, processes, people, places, systems and devices that can be used for various purposes. The digital representation provides both the elements and the dynamics of how an infrastructure asset operates and lives throughout its life cycle. With only a handful of deployments in Australia to date, 2019 will be the year that digital twins enter the mainstream as a core component of the future planning and design of new infrastructure assets. First though, organisations must be able to determine how the digital twin will interface with existing design and operational processes, data sets, and governance practices to ensure value is captured and work is not duplicated. There are a number of new software offerings to evaluate to determine what is most suitable for your type of infrastructure. The GHD Digital Strategy and Transformation practice is well-versed in addressing these challenges, and can help you get the most out of introducing a digital twin to your infrastructure asset portfolio. - To AI, or not to AI, that is the question
Late last year, the Gradient Institute was formed in Australia with the utopic goal of creating a “world where all systems behave ethically” through research, policy advocacy, public awareness, and training people in the ethical development and use of AI. ‘Ethical AI’ will be an oft-used term throughout 2019 as organisations determine where the boundaries lie in the use of data to drive their business forward. From an infrastructure perspective GHD has, for many years, needed to carefully and ethically consider the use of big data sets and the impact their insights may have on the community. For instance, the work we have done in predictive analytics using machine learning to assess the risk of flooding in urban environments provides direct insight into the potential impacts to the safety of the community, and on residential and commercial property values. Keeping our vision of working together with our clients to create lasting community benefit in mind, the way this data is captured, analysed and communicated is meticulously managed. The GHD Digital Data & Analytics practice can help your organization determine data policies that ensure the ethical use of AI. - 3. Cyber gets serious
The bad actors and black hats have been serious for years. It’s the response taken by companies to these threats that needs to get even more serious in 2019. The Federal Government has recently mandated new legislation that ups the ante on what corporations need to do to protect data privacy and to report breaches. At the same time, they are seeking to legislate the ability to target providers of communication services and device makers that force companies to disclose encrypted information on devices such as phones, computers and on social media platforms. With these new laws, it is no longer enough just to protect your organization by building a wall and not letting the wrong people in. The whole approach to what happens inside the organization up and down the data value chain needs reappraising. The GHD Digital Risk and Cybersecurity practice is well-versed in these new laws and can help you navigate the changes needed to address the impacts on your data value chain. They can also deploy solutions that protect your data from within.
In addition, Australia can strongly benefit from getting serious about cyber in 2019 by generating homegrown solutions to serve both local and global businesses. There will be a surge of new startups and serious investment that will see the cyber industry become one of the fastest growing sectors for our economy. Cybersecurity has never been more important, both as an enabler for Australian industry and as a source of economic growth itself. For more information on this, check out the Austcyber Industry Roadmap. - 5G phone home
You’ve seen the trials and heard the hype. The alluring promise of ultra-reliable low latency, higher speeds and capacity, greater flexibility from network slicing, and greatly reduced capex and opex costs could see 5G be the cure to many ailments. In reality, the rollout and adoption of this technology will take many years in Australia, but 2019 is the right time to start planning how it may transform your business models as 5G becomes a catalyst for Industrial Revolution 4.0. The GHD Digital Smart Technology Solutions practice has already been working with a number of telecommunications partners to define use cases applicable to industrial IOT (IIoT) and infrastructure related scenarios to maximize the use of new functionalities being introduced. We’re ready to work with you to help define where you can most benefit from its application. - Proptech: A market altering real-estate innovation
Proptech is one small part of a wider digital transformation in the property industry. It considers both the technological and mentality change of the real estate industry and its consumers to attitudes, movements and transactions involving both buildings and cities. Many early adopters worldwide have been driving this trend forward for a number of years, but in 2019 we will see mainstream adoption within the Australian marketplace. The GHD Digital Smart Technology Solutions practice is already working with global and local property developers on a number of practical implementations, but these are set to increase rapidly throughout the year. In a related trend, construction tech will continue to mature throughout 2019, in preparation for mainstream adoption in 2020. Our team are leading the way on construction tech deployments in Australia, with the development of multiple use cases that deliver significant safety, time and cost benefits.
Finding the optimal digital solution for all of the above will be the major challenge and GHD Digital is here to help. We are looking forward to all the digital innovations 2019 will bring as we work with our clients to help them navigate the path to digital business transformation.
