There is a clear need on the labour market for BIM/GIS integration competences. BIRGIT project’s main objective was to bridge the gap between supply and demand of BIM-GIS integration skills by developing new sets of learning material and to introduce such courses within the partnership. Projects using both BIM and GIS data require knowledge about data, operations and processes in both disciplines. To fulfil this need, new learning materials aiming at developing the necessary skills to integrate BIM and GIS have been developed. These materials are providing knowledge on methods and mechanisms (mostly software tools and data modelling) and practical application cases. One major impact was the improvement of quality of the VET programs within the partnership and the possibility of using the learning materials by other training providers as well. As an example, the courses provided by the DIS4SME project are to a large extent based on the BIRGIT project results.
To reduce costs, environmental impact and carbon footprints, the construction and geospatial (mapping) industries are demanding new approaches for urban planning, asset design and information management. One approach in this development is bringing together BIM (Building Information model) and GIS (Geographic Information System) technologies. By connecting these technologies, the construction processes and management of assets such as buildings, roads, and other essential public facilities will be improved. However, such an integration requires high expertise from professionals of both domains. According to surveys within the stakeholders in Sweden, Italy, Spain and Croatia, there is a lack of skilled personnel and vocational education and training (VET) courses addressing the competencies required to achieve BIM/GIS integration. Existing VET programs across Europe for civil engineers, architects, land surveyors, geographers and other professionals working in the built environment and urban management, usually include courses in BIM or GIS, but not their intersection. As a consequence, professionals of these domains rarely know how to solve problems where a unified approach to BIM and GIS data management is needed.