DIHCUBE

DIHCUBE aims at establishing the Italian Digital Hub for Construction and the Built Environment. The construction industry is pivotal to the Italian economy (22% of the GDP) and to every citizen’s life, yet it is a sector that suffers from deep backwardness. This is matched by low competitiveness worsened by the recent economic crisis and difficulty in harnessing innovation. The same factors hinder the sustainable transformation of the sector. This is why the Commission has included constructions amongst the 14 priority ecosystems that face the most significant challenges in meeting sustainability goals and in embracing the digital transformation. DIHCUBE will address these issues by bringing together the most advanced research centres and the value chain of the construction industry: SMEs, professionals, suppliers of materials and technology and the public sector. The partners have been chosen to promote a systematic technological shift: they include R&I experts, the Public Sector and specialists in business innovation. Two of them are the most representative organizations of the construction sector; one of them will coordinate the project and will make available its nation-wide network to systematically engage DIHCUBE stakeholders. Given the low level of digitalization in the compartment and the high potential for digital transformation, DIHCUBE services will range from basic digital literacy to advanced pilot coaching for the use of AI and highly specialized consultancy for niche uses. DIHCUBE assistance will be offered across the whole of Italy and will consist of a complete set of services. The Hub will function as a unique access point to the EDIHs network and has already signed an agreement with 6 construction EDIH-candidates. The crisis has deeply hit Italy and the National Recovery Plan has just been deployed. The construction sector, that is central to the Plan, will be able to deliver only if it will undergo a deep green and digital transformation.