Shimizu Formulates Digitalization Concepts Based on the Mid-Term Digital Strategy

Shimizu Corporation (President: Kazuyuki Inoue) formulated digitalization concepts for the steady pursuit and realization of the three cornerstones of the SHIMZ Digital General Contractor Mid-Term Digital Strategy 2020 to make Shimizu a digital contractor: 1) Digital technology for construction, 2) Digital spaces and services provision, and 3) Digital support for all operations.

Mid-Term Digital Strategy 2020 defines a “Digital General Contractor” as a construction company that uses craftsmanship construction knowledge and advanced digital technologies to perform construction and provide spaces, and digital spaces and services. This is the image of a general contractor that Shimizu strives for. These digitalization concepts aimed at pursuing and realizing the three cornerstones express the vision for core businesses and services that will enable Shimizu to grow into a Digital General Contractor.

The concept of “Digital technology for construction” expresses the vision for the building construction and civil engineering businesses. The common point is that we aim to build an integrated structure to link data in a project from upstream through downstream operation and perform digital construction. For example, at the upstream stage, this includes the use of computational design in building design. In civil engineering, it involves examination of construction plans using a cyber space built with CIM data. In the construction stage, it involves the use of digital data in construction management, use of robots and automation, and production of components and materials in both building construction and civil engineering. In the downstream stage, it includes digitalization of functional and performance data on buildings and infrastructure, which are the deliverables, and other means to accelerate the construction process.

The concept of “Digital spaces and services provision” expresses the vision of the engineering business. It targets provision of digital services through the use of urban and building digital twins. Such services will contribute to enhancing asset value and improving operational management efficiency for the customers, and improving convenience, safety, and security for users. We are already installing the necessary infrastructure and data platforms, and building operating systems (OS) for building urban and building digital twins, beginning with MEBKS TOYOSU, a large office building (Toyosu 6-chome, Koto-ku, Tokyo) developed by Shimizu and in renovation work on our head office building. We intend to expand application to other projects in the future.

The concept of “Digital support for all operations” expresses the vision for all digitalization infrastructure supporting all operations, including digitalization of construction in building construction and civil engineering, spaces, and services and enables employees to work safely anywhere, at any time. We are currently pursuing links between various operating systems and data links along with revising operating processes. These efforts are aimed at improving operational efficiency by promoting electronic approval and utilizing information links and data through Project-DataBase, and automating and efficiency of back office tasks using RPA and Workflow. We are working to build an infrastructure platform that will ensure these systems are used effectively by everyone involved. This infrastructure platform, the data management platform, and the Business Applications Platform make up the digitalization infrastructure that supports all operations, and by extension, the Mid-Term Digital Strategy.

These initiatives in digitalization are recognized. On June 7, 2021, Shimizu was selected for Digital Transformation Company 2021 (DX Company 2021) by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and Tokyo Stock Exchange Inc. Shimizu will continue to roll out a digital strategy worthy of DX Company 2021, and will lead DX in the Japanese construction industry as a Digital General Contractor.