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EY report highlights critical role of innovation to ensure a productive and sustainable construction sector in Ireland

A report launched today at the Next Generation Construction event hosted by the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) and EY highlighted that the construction industry in Ireland is at a critical juncture. The report, entitled, A Detailed Description of Needs for the Irish Construction/Built Environment Sector finds that the industry needs to prioritise innovation and digital technology to provide the social, economic and productive infrastructure required to sustain economic growth, and to attract foreign direct investment in Ireland.

The report identifies that the Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) approach to building has the potential to increase the speed of new homes through the adoption of innovation by 30%, reduce costs by a potential 25% and advance improvements in quality and energy efficiency.

The report found that 40% of firms in the construction industry are not using any automated technologies, while just 38% stated that there was a ‘great’ or ‘very great extent’ to which their firm was likely to engage in innovation.

Evidence from the survey also found that key barriers preventing firms from implementing new technologies in Ireland include the day-to-day running of the business (59%), a lack of time (51%) and lack of financial incentives to do so (47%).

Produced following research and consultation with firms and stakeholders across the construction industry, the aim of the report was to inform the design of a bespoke Construction Technology Centre to empower industry ownership of the research, development, and innovation processes required to deliver a more sustainable and competitive construction sector.

Speaking at the Next Generation Construction event at EY today, Annette Hughes, Director of EY Ireland Economic Advisory Services and author of the report said, “This report focuses on ‘future proofing’ the construction industry in Ireland by formulating a strategy for the next decade with innovation, digital technology and sustainability at the core.

There are challenges ahead, however, adopting smart construction and digital technology has the potential to transform the construction industry and significantly increase the production of quality, energy efficient new homes.

Modern Methods of Construction (MMC)

While 62% of firms believe that modular construction will be of ‘great importance’ or of ‘very great importance’ in the next 10 years, the EY report found that utilisation of MMC in Ireland remained low with just 7.4% of firms regarding Off-Site Manufacturing/Modern Methods of Construction (OSM/MMC) as being their main activity. Key challenges cited around the adoption of MMC included capital and financing and specialised labour requirements.

Simon MacAllister, EY Partner added, “The advancements in construction technologies are reshaping the future of the construction industry globally. We need to create opportunities for the industry in Ireland to bring these technologies into Irish projects. Project Ireland 2040, and the various housing initiatives require an effective construction sector which is central to the overall development of our society and economy.”

Technology and Innovation

The use of ‘smart construction’ and digital technology has been proven to increase productivity and the efficiencies of the construction sector by from 10%- 20%, with up to a fivefold to tenfold increase in some circumstances. While 75% of firms said a technology sandbox – a place to explore the latest technologies without having to purchase them – would benefit them, 52% of firms were not interested in Robotics/Automation while 50% were not interested in Materials Prototyping.

Ross O’ Colmain, Department Manager, High Tech Construction and Housing, Enterprise Ireland said, “To fully transform construction enterprises by enabling the adoption of digital technology, it must be noted that true digital business transformation is an ongoing process that requires cultural change. As highlighted in the report, for this Centre to enable Digital Transformation and Innovation across the construction and built environment sector in Ireland, it must focus on developing capability in three core areas – each of equal importance: People, Process and Technology.

Recommendations and Sustainability

The report outlines a total of 11 key recommendations for the Construction Technology Centre and urges it to establish a Sustainability Action Plan within the first 90 days. The Sustainability Action Plan will keep the Centre focused and accountable, by ensuring that every action undertaken is concerned with building a sustainable environment within the industry. This also aligns with survey findings that 80% of firms believe that sustainability and energy will be of ‘great’ or ‘very great’ importance over the next ten years.

Based on the experience in centres across other jurisdictions, and the funding typically allocated to same, the funding for the Centre should comprise a mix of Government, industry, and other sources over time. Centres of this nature will likely require cumulative funding of €10 to €15 million in their initial years.

Sean Downey, Director of Specialist Contracting, Construction Industry Federation, concluded by saying “Post the Covid-19 pandemic, Irish construction stands at a crossroads. We cannot afford to stand still. We have to move to a new level of performance driven by both productivity and sustainability. Some leaders in the construction industry have adopted new technological processes and more advanced construction systems to deliver value to their clients and our vision is for this transformation to be adopted by all players in the industry.”

EY Ireland Launches new AI centre of excellence to supercharge AI led growth for Irish businesses

EY has today launched AI Labs – a unique AI centre of excellence – offering clients access to game changing capabilities in big data, AI, smart automation, VR/AR and advanced analytics. EY Ireland’s expanding data analytics and technology consulting team, encompassing 220 people, will run and manage AI Labs to deploy a set of advanced technology client solutions and highly specialised client services. The skills and resources provided through AI Labs will ultimately equip organisations with the resources, tools, and insights they need to drive growth and market leading innovation.

AI Labs, run in collaboration with the EY wavespace innovation centre, will introduce a host of services to clients across maturity assessment, strategy, solution deployment, business training, rapid prototyping/POC, and Solution Development/MVP. The suite of AI capabilities and services on offer will allow organisations across multiple industries and sectors to deploy these advanced technologies to optimise new growth opportunities and to solve their most complex industry challenges. AI Labs will expand EY’s existing technology consulting business across AI, automation, machine learning, and big data over the next three years.

Speaking at an event to launch the AI Labs today, Paul Pierotti, EY Ireland Partner, Data Analytics and Emerging Technology said: “AI and smart automation present endless opportunities for organisations to solve complex issues in their respective industries. By adopting these technologies and embedding them in their operational models, organisations will find themselves at the forefront of positive industry and societal change. By taking the necessary measures to adopt these technologies Irish organisations will be set on a new path of digital optimisation and success. AI Labs at EY epitomises the value we place on innovation as a firm as reflected in the ongoing expansion of our vibrant technology consulting business.”

The unique offering of AI Labs will include capabilities across natural language processing, predictive analytics, optimisation, expert systems, and advanced computer recognition. By leveraging these AI capabilities, organisations will be at the forefront of the digital economy. EY will also be able to build on its rapid prototyping capabilities, using design thinking, agile methodology, discovery sessions, and the latest technology and industry insights to solve critical business issues alongside cutting-edge AI technologies.

Frank O’Keeffe, Managing Partner, EY Ireland, commented: “The launch of AI Labs here in EY Ireland is a natural evolution of our already extensive suite of services to clients in the technology space.  I’m hugely excited about the opportunities it will unlock for our clients right across the island of Ireland. Long term sustainable success in business requires innovative thinking and access to the latest cutting-edge ideas and technologies. Through our new AI labs and our partnership with the ADAPT centre, will be able to bring the incredible potential of AI alive for our clients through bespoke workshops and demonstrations. We can’t wait to bring together the brightest minds in AI across this island to co-create game changing solutions with our clients.”

To ensure AI Labs is supported with the advanced research, skills, and insights it needs to thrive, EY will enter into a 4-year strategic collaboration with the ADAPT Centre – the world-leading Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Research Centre for AI-driven digital content technology. The collaboration will facilitate the application of advanced technology and research initiatives that address real-world industry challenges. These will consist of a portfolio of collaborative projects, initially co-funding two PhD students in 2022 but scaling to include research fellowships, targeted projects and other collaborations, including but not limited to health, transport, and utilities.

Declan McKibben, Executive Director of the ADAPT Centre added: “The ADAPT Centre brings together the best researchers in Human Centric AI across eight universities in Ireland to drive AI Adoption and Innovation here in Ireland and internationally. By building and valuing strong relationships with academic institutions, the innovation ecosystem, and businesses, we ensure that knowledge transfer can happen much more rapidly in line with the pace of innovation today. This partnership signals a new strategic approach to our engagement with EY which will nurture talent, drive innovation and turn good ideas into great solutions for tomorrow.”

The ADAPT collaboration will allow EY the opportunity to invest in research initiatives that align with its digital strategy, through creating additional research capacity and driving innovation. Research will be focused on initial use cases in data governance, customer content & engagement, intelligent supply chain and manufacturing, and sustainability.

EY Ireland launches EY STEM App

EY Ireland has today announced the launch of the EY STEM App which will be rolled out across the Republic of Ireland, following a successful pilot in the US and India. Through the app, which is aimed at girls aged between 13-18 years, EY Ireland is hoping to reach and inspire at least 5,000 young women throughout Ireland to pursue STEM careers across science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Ireland is the first of seven new countries to launch the EY STEM App, with six other countries including Canada, the UK, UAE, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand, following suit throughout 2022.

The EY STEM App was developed by EY in collaboration with SkillsVR, an organisation dedicated to developing potential talent through immersive learning. It features modules and activities focused on science, such as climate change or space exploration; technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI), 3D printing or blockchain; the future of work and skills that may be required for future, yet-to-be-defined jobs.

Helena O’Dwyer, EY Ireland Associate Partner and Head of Strategy, EY-Parthenon, says:

“Advancing girls’ skills and interests in STEM is vital to closing the gender gap in technology. It’s crucial that women and girls have the opportunity to realise their full potential as leaders and change-makers in a world increasingly enabled by technology. We’re proud  to be rolling out this app  here in Ireland as we  think it has the real potential to  make STEM learning more accessible and rewarding for thousands of  girls. The CSO recently reported that only 25% of roles in STEM are performed by women in Ireland so the development and rollout of this app is not only incredibly timely but also crucial when skills shortages have never been more prolific and competition for talent has never been more fierce”

Gamified content and incentivized learning 

The free-to-use app connects girls with a wide range of learning activities from exploring new technologies, to learning how design thinking can help solve some of the world’s toughest challenges. Supported by inspirational stories of pioneering women, the app aims to not only nurture confidence and competence in STEM, but also the development of capabilities such as critical thinking and problem-solving, creativity and systems thinking, and social skills and teamwork.

Hundreds of individual activities — each broken into bite-size steps, such as watching a video, answering thought-provoking questions or carrying out an experiment — support self-directed learning that empowers girls to choose what, how and when they learn to build a real sense of accomplishment and confidence with the completion of each step.

Girls are also encouraged to take real-life actions beyond the phone app, such as interviewing members of their community, applying design thinking to solve community problems and conducting experiments, such as building a solar oven with household items.

As they complete more activities on the app, girls become eligible to receive a range of incentives, including One4All Vouchers, options to donate to their favourite charities and the opportunity to engage in training programmes with EY Ireland’s technology and data analytics teams. This will include virtual and in-person access to the world class EY wavespace innovation centre in Dublin.

Eoin O’Reilly, EY Ireland Partner and Head of Data Analytics added, “The EY STEM App is a fantastic programme to support young girls and foster their interests in STEM subjects. The ability to pique the interest of girls at a young age, during the height of their education, is undoubtedly the best way to mobilise interest in a traditionally under-represented career path among women. I hope the EY STEM App will help girls of all ages embrace careers in STEM, and as the programme grows I hope it continues to help girls in Ireland and around the world navigate real-world challenges. There has never been a more important time to encourage more women to build their careers in STEM, especially given the crucial role they play, and will continue to play, in the development and future growth of our economy here in Ireland.”

The EY STEM App is sponsored by the EY Women in Technology programme, which was formed to create an inclusive culture to successfully harness technology’s potential to truly transform society. Activities on the app were also developed in collaboration with some of the world´s most respected non-profit and academic institutions, including the UN and World Economic Forum. In addition, all activities are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals they directly impact, allowing girls to earn Global Goals digital badges as they progress.

Lack of investment in cyber security leaves many Irish businesses feeling exposed

EY Ireland is launching findings from their Global Information Security Survey 2021 which includes Ireland

More than half of Irish cyber security teams (52%) fear they are exposed to a major breach which could be avoided if their businesses invested more in their cyber defences, according to the EY Ireland Global Information Security Survey 2021.

Cyberattacks are increasing in frequency and impact with 90% of Irish businesses saying they have seen a rise in disruptive attacks in the last 12 months compared to 72% globally.

Irish respondents feel more exposed than their global peers due to a shortfall in funding. Globally, 36% of respondents say they are more exposed to a major breach than they would be if their businesses had committed sufficient resources to their cybersecurity defences. In Ireland, the figure was 52%, with 44% stating that their budgets were too low to handle the new challenges which have emerged over the last 12 months.

 

Carol Murphy, EY Ireland Consulting Partner and Head of Technology Risk, commented:

“Cyber attacks are becoming more frequent, more damaging, longer lasting and harder to anticipate. Irish businesses overall express confidence in their ability to manage evolving threats. The majority (60%) say they are confident in understanding and anticipating new strategies used by bad actors, which is encouraging.

Where improvement can be made is by creating heightened awareness of these threats at board and executive level. There is a tendency for cyber security to get lost on the priority list and this can leave the entire business exposed. With the regulatory burden rapidly increasing, however, boards are beginning to wake up to the threat posed and to the level of resourcing required, and not before time”.

 

Barriers to Communication

Only 30% of Irish respondents feel that their executive management fully understands the value and needs of the cyber security teams compared to 42% globally.

The survey suggests relationships between the cyber teams and senior leadership within their organisations are underdeveloped. More than two-thirds (68%) of respondents say that their teams are sometimes consulted too late or even not at all when their organisations make strategic decisions.

 

Carol Murphy concluded:

“The GISS survey highlights a number of gaps between Irish businesses and their international counterparts. These are partly due to budgetary constraints but also stem from a lack of internal communication and a perceived disconnect between cyber security and executive teams.

Given the global public health emergency, it is understandable that allowances have been made in some cases to facilitate rapid implementation of working from home policies. As remote and hybrid working become part of normal working life, however, businesses need to address the resulting security gaps as a matter of urgency.”