I recently had the opportunity to attend the buildingSMART International (bSI) Summit in Singapore with a few of my Esri colleagues. As with past bSI Summits, it was one of the most inspiring and forward-looking events I participate in the AEC and infrastructure industry. This bi-annual summit continues to be a cornerstone event for anyone involved in digital project delivery, and it was encouraging to see the global momentum around interoperability, openBIM, and the integration of GIS and BIM.
What stands out most for me is the growing recognition of geospatial context as a necessary ingredient of digital transformation. The dialogue has shifted—no longer asking if GIS should be integrated with BIM, but how quickly and how deeply. There were multiple sessions and working group discussions focused on the convergence of spatial intelligence and building data, particularly within the Infrastructure, Airport, and Railway Rooms. The continued development of the IFC for civil alignment and the coordination between ISO standards and openBIM frameworks is exactly the kind of progress we at Esri are eager to support.
One of the highlights was the “From Vision to Action” session, which emphasized not just the technology, but the people and leadership driving this transformation. In this session, my professional friends, Jag Mallala from WSP and Eric Poirer from École de Technologie Supérieure facilitated an interactive discussion amongst the standing-room-only crowd. Several stories featured workflows blending spatial and building models to inform planning, improve resilience, and enhance operations—goals that align strongly with our vision at Esri.
Our ongoing sponsorship and participation at bSI Summits provide a unique platform to spark geospatial conversations in a BIM-centric crowd, and it reinforces why our presence at these summit matters. Esri’s visibility here isn’t just about brand—it’s about contributing to the future of open, intelligent infrastructure. With organizations like the Singapore Land Authority, Land Transport Authority, and others leading globally with geospatial-first initiatives, our continued engagement at this event is both strategically relevant and mission-aligned.
Looking ahead, I see even greater potential for Esri to be part of the formal dialogue—through working groups, case study presentations, and technical showcases. The conversation around digital twins, infrastructure lifecycle management, and public-sector transformation needs the geospatial lens we provide.
This summit reaffirmed that Esri’s commitment to interoperability, standards collaboration, and open innovation is right where it needs to be. I’m already looking forward to our expanded role in the next buildingSMART event—and to helping our customers and partners bring their GIS+BIM stories to a global audience.
For more information related to Esri’s support for IFC and buildingSMART – visit https://go.esri.com/bsi-singapore
