Technology Investment Essential for Social Wellbeing: SICT

On Monday, Mexico’s Minister of Infrastructure, Jorge Nuño Lara, inaugurated the "Seminar on the implementation of BIM in the management of road assets: Challenges and opportunities," addressing the audience with a conclusive message that assures the importance of implementing technology for infrastructure spending to improve social wellbeing.

The three-day event was organized by the Permanent International Association of Road Congresses (PIARC), the Mexican Association of Road Engineering (AMIVTAC), the Ministry of Infrastructure (SICT) and the Mexican Transportation Institute (IMT) and will take place in Mexico City. The forum will open a space to analyze different infrastructure projects and their impact on transparency, decision-making and quality control of investments, from planning to formulation, design, construction, expansion and modification of investment projects.

Nuño said that the administration of Mexico’s infrastructure spending would benefit from incorporating several elements to fully adopt a platform that could improve efficiency. SICT already utilizes building information modeling (BIM) for roadway and highway projects. 

“The exercise of public resources entails a very great responsibility not measured only in the amounts to be exercised, nor in administrative accounts. We have to be aware that every peso, every penny that we decide to invest in our highway infrastructure translates into the daily life of the population, into social welfare,” said Nuño via a SICT press release. 

Nuño highlighted the importance of a conjectural effort by the public and private sector to accelerate the implementation of innovative methodologies. The main objective of the plan is to create more efficient spending procedures in search of major improvements that could maximize social and economic benefits. 

Gerardo Flinstsch, President of the 3.3 Technical Management Committee for Road Assets, PIARC, said that the seminar will offer a space for public and private sector experts to exchange ideas to shorten deadlines, promoting more sustainable processes with the help of the BIM methodology. Flinstsch explained that the methodology allows major improvements for all processes in the infrastructure industry. 

The World Road Association’s Strategic Plan 2020-2023 prioritizes “innovative approaches in asset management systems, measures to improve the resilience of road networks, renovation and rejuvenation of aging infrastructure and updating of the asset management manual,” said SICT.