IBEW 2020: Opening ceremony by Minister Desmond Lee

The fully digital International Built Environment Week (IBEW) 2020 kicked off officially on 1 September 2020. This year, the annual event is themed “Emerging Strong through Innovation“, highlighting the need for the built environment to bounce back stronger from challenges brought about by the pandemic.

Desmond Lee, Minister for National Development and Minister-in-charge of Social Services Integration, shared during Opening Ceremony, “We are facing one of the toughest crises our generation has ever seen. The built environment sector, both locally and globally, will need to navigate a new normal, one that is unfamiliar to us, and daunting. But if we put our minds to it, I believe we can find ways to overcome the challenges ahead, and even identify new opportunities.”

Many construction companies have been hit hard by COVID-19. “In Singapore, on a quarter-on-quarter annualised basis, the construction sector contracted by 97.1 per cent in the second quarter of this year. The difficulties faced by our industry are significant, and for some, are existential. With the constant threat of a resurgence of infection looming over us, restarting work has also been a challenge, with workers under quarantine, worksite practices requiring redesign, and payments being delayed,” shared Minister Lee.

Advancing digital solutions

Local construction companies can access the new SG$20 million Advanced Digital Solutions scheme supported by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) to help offset the costs of adopting advanced digital solutions to help keep worksites safe.

Read the full speech from Minister Lee here.

Watch the full speech from Minister Lee here.