Oct 20 2012
Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy, Deputy Mayor for Operations of New York City Cas Holloway, President of the New York City Economic Development Corporation Seth Pinsky, David Kirkpatrick, Founder of the Techonomy Conference, and industry leaders gathered today for the groundbreaking, inaugural Intelligent Jobsites Construction Technology Conference at the McGraw Hill Auditorium.
The Conference brought together leaders in the industry as well as policymakers to discuss the immense transformative power of technology and innovation while also addressing the best practices and legal standards of care in the architecture, real estate, engineering, and construction industries.
"As state government partners with the private sector to grow the economy, we must continue to transform the way we get things done. Governor Cuomo has instilled that spirit across state government, ensuring that we work more efficiently than ever before to deliver improved services to New Yorkers while saving the taxpayer dollar," said Lieutenant Governor Duffy. "I am pleased to participate in the Intelligent Jobsites Conference and join with the many key stakeholders gathered here who are reshaping our economy, transforming the construction industry, driving innovation, and cementing New York as the capital of advanced construction technologies."
Top experts in the field discussed integrating mobile communications applications for smartphones and tablets in addition to tools and techniques to bridge the technological gap between design and construction robotics.
Following the keynote address by the Lieutenant Governor were three panel discussions. David Kirkpatrick moderated the first panel, Transformation: Global Problems Require Global Solutions.
"I was shocked recently to learn that architects' CAD renderings are universally printed out for use on a construction site. The building industry is falling dangerously behind other parts of the economy, raising costs and potentially imperiling American competitiveness. I'm excited to participate in a discussion about how to bring the manifold elements of digital progress to bear in one of the biggest and oldest businesses of all. New York is the place to lead the way," said Mr. Kirkpatrick.
Deputy Mayor Holloway addressed the crowd of 200 saying, "Making the construction industry more efficient directly puts money back in taxpayers' pockets. The technology exhibited here today will go a long way in assisting developers and the city in reducing the amount of time and costs necessary to erect and/or refurbish buildings."
Ken Fisher, Member, Cozen O'Connor moderated the second panel, Why Owners Have the Most to Gain from a Measurable Return on Investment. The final panel, Disruptive Technologies: Case Studies, Entrepreneurs Wanted, was co-moderated by David Kirkpatrick; Sam Stathis, Founder and CEO of Theometrics and Intelligent Jobsites Conference Event Co-Chair; and Paul Seletsky, AIA, CEO & Founder, ArcSphere LLC.
"In the same way the Industrial Revolution altered almost every aspect of daily life in some way, and years later President Roosevelt's New Deal led us out of the Great Depression, the immense transformative power of construction's technological revolution can lead us out of this great recession. This event marks a new turning point in history," said Mr. Stathis.