buildingSMART and GS1 signed a Memorandum of Understanding to advance global standards in the construction sector

(Tokyo,18th October 2018) – buildingSMART International (bSI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with GS1 to enable the construction industry to benefit from the combined expertise of both organisations through the use of standards and services they deliver. The use of global buildingSmart and GS1 standards, in particular for product instance identification and exchange of product data, is critical in addressing today’s challenges of digitalisation in the construction sector.

This agreement further strengthens the benefits of open standards-based interoperability throughout the building and infrastructure value chain and lifecycle, and the broader application of digital product information. With shared visions and goals, the aim of this MoU is to jointly expand the breadth and depth of the standards that are developed and maintained in their respective communities.

“This signed agreement between buildingSMART and GS1 is something I’m excited about because our organisations have similar values and core missions. This announcement further extends the opportunity to push for a more open and interoperable ways of working by driving more rigorous standards to end users”, said Richard Petrie, CEO, buildingSMART International.

“The use of global standards, in particular for product identification and exchange of product data, represents a huge opportunity for the construction industry. Increased Building Information Modeling regulations around the world and the resulting value of digital twins confirm this trend. GS1 is delighted with this agreement that will enable the industry to address its digital challenges”, says Miguel Lopera, CEO and President, GS1.

For more information contact:

Enzo Blonk: enzoblonk@gs1.org
Aidan Mercer: aidan.mercer@buildingsmart.org

About buildingSMART International:
buildingSMART International is a vendor-neutral and not for profit body that leads the development of open digital information flows across the built asset economy. Its mission is to proactively support industry participants who want to develop open standards for planning, design, procurement, assembly and operation of buildings and infrastructure worldwide. It provides the international network plus the necessary technical and process support. Its members, who range from across the built environment spectrum, collaborate under the buildingSMART organisation.

About GS1:
GS1 is a neutral, not-for-profit organisation that develops and maintains the most widely used global standards for efficient business communication. It is best known for the barcode, named by the BBC as one of “the 50 things that made the world economy”. GS1 standards improve the efficiency, safety and visibility of supply chains and item life cycles across physical and digital channels in 25 sectors. Its scale and reach – local Member Organisations in 112 countries, 1.5 million user companies and 6 billion transactions every day – help ensure that GS1 standards create a common language that supports systems and processes across the globe. Find out more at www.gs1.org.