A Reflection on the Development, Activities and Deliverables of the Construction IT Alliance (CITA) in Ireland

Abstract

This paper reflects on the development, activities and deliverables of the Construction IT Alliance in the Republic of Ireland. This alliance was formed in 2001 with the vision of harnessing the potential of information and communication technologies in the Irish construction sector. CITA is a prime example of academia-industry-government collaboration in Ireland. A key driver in the development of CITA is the need to increase the extent of IT knowledge within the Irish construction sector. Membership of CITA includes leading architectural, engineering, surveying, management, construction, supplier, IT and academic organisations. The leading academic institutions in CITA are the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) and the Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT). CITA has also received the backing of the Department of the Environment and Local Government (DoE&LG) and the influential Forum for the Construction Industry (FCI). The structure and work of other similar bodies, particularly Construct IT in the UK, were taken into account in the development of CITA. CITA activities include the development and maintenance of a website; the hosting of bi-annual members meetings with expert guest speakers; and the formation and encouragement of Special Interest Groups (SIGs) to address particular issues.