The 6th Nordic Conference on Construction Economics and Organisation was held in Copenhagen 13-15 April 2011.
Under the theme “shaping the construction/society nexus” papers were invited within the following areas:
The conference aims at exploring, from a relational perspective, the practical and theoretical implications of a number of challenges related to construction economics and organisation:
- How does new and emerging practices of e.g. benchmarking, supply chain integration, performance management and Building Information Modelling challenge and transform dominant practices of construction procurement and delivery? And what are the consequences hereof for the traditional roles and responsibilities of the actors involved?
- Addressing the utilisation, i.e. consumption, of buildings and construc-tions, contributions are invited that focus on topics related to user-oriented design methodologies and user involvement methods, including rethinking the traditional concept of users as the actual end-users of the building in question. Further, the theme may include marketing and consumption studies dealing with the role and practice of users in the built environment.
- Exploring the interaction between supply and demand, calls are made for papers that deal with the intricate user-producer relationships and questions of how these linkages can be conceptualised when acknowledging mutually constitutive nature hereof. Topics include e.g. clients and users as sources and potential drivers of innovation in construction as well as user-driven innovation approaches.
- Construction and the utilisation of constructions are embedded in a larger societal framework. The various national construction sectors in Europe have ever since the end of WW2 been seen both as instruments in a societal modernisation and development process and as objects of regulation, legislation and control. National and supranational policy efforts have taken on a wide variety of different guises ranging from the rationalisation efforts of the “industrialisation wave” to issues of environmental concern in the current Lead Market Initiative for Europe. Contributions are invited that discuss the position of construction in society and scrutinise the ties between framework regulation and project practices, effects and impact. Topics could include how societal changes like sustainability and economic recession are posing strategic challenges to construction practice.
- If clients and users increasingly are seen as sources of innovation and development and public research funding increasingly is channelled into private companies, then where does it leave the knowledge institutions? How does research into construction economics, management and organisation affect and impact construction and its users? And how and with what can research contribute to construction in the future? Papers are invited that critically scrutinize the role of research under changing societal conditions.
The conference hosted more than 100 delegates from all over the world. 60 papers were published and presented at the conference.