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BIM Academic Forum revival kicks off
20 April 2026
At its first meeting last week, the reconstituted BIM Academic Forum set out its plans, including a name change.
At Salford University’s MediaCityUK last Thursday (16 April), academics and representatives from industry, Autodesk and Trimble gathered to reinvigorate the forum, review its purpose and remit, and launch various research projects to explore the current and future capability and capacity in the educational supply chain.
According to nima, there was “a healthy debate about the continued relevance of the term ‘BIM’, whether the name should include ‘academic’ or ‘education’ or have wider aspirations, and how to identify the focus of the group’s work in the built and managed environment”.
There was widespread agreement that the forum’s existing name needed to change, but no clear consensus on what that should be. Volunteers were invited to join a steering group to agree a new name and to identify actions and a programme of future events around the UK to help the group move forward.
Plans outlined at the meeting included those to:
- provide a coordinated response to the draft revisions to Parts 1 and 2 of the 19650 standard;
- produce a State of the Nation report on the information management education landscape;
- promote discussion between industry, educators and qualification awarding/accreditation bodies about ensuring current courses deliver competent individuals meeting employers’ needs; and
- explore how to widen the talent pool available to the built environment sector.
Nima vice-chair for education and upskilling, Paul Woddy, said: “Given that the forum has not met for some time, it was exciting to see the clear enthusiasm to refresh and reinvigorate it. While we resolve the name issue, we are already planning the next event, provisionally in November 2026, and then a regular series of events starting in 2027, with February, May/June and November being calendar staples.
“There was a strong consensus on being an inclusive network embracing all elements of the education landscape, from schools and further education colleges, through higher education to training providers and trade and professional associations, while also engaging with employers, government, technology providers (including Trimble and Autodesk, which sponsored this latest meeting) and other stakeholders. This is in line with the nima objective to be the hub of all things information management, and I am pleased we are able to facilitate these important conversations.”
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