Creating a Digital SME Community in the Irish Construction Industry

The Construction Industry is a sector where ICT and e-business are used to a lesser extent than in most other sectors. The high concentration of SMEs in the construction industry and the typical nature of the service provided in construction, being an on-site and often highly customised service are generally identi-fied as the reason for the low ICT uptake. The majority of Irish companies in the construction sector are SMEs. It is essential that Irish companies become more effective and efficient with eBusiness technologies in order to compete in the global economy. The Construction IT Alliance in Ireland has identified a project pro-gramme that will promote Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) in the Irish Construction Industry and research SMEs needs to develop a strong eBusiness environment and ultimately create a digital solution that will best suit their needs