A lack of skilled workers and several large government infrastructure projects are making it difficult for the Canadian construction industry to recover

VANCOUVER, British Columbia–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Global construction consultant Linesight today released its Canada Country Insight and Commodity Report for Q1 2023.

While the report predicts moderate economic growth in Canada and a return to normal commodity escalation, the construction industry is expected to contract by 0.9% in 2023 due to reduced residential output, elevated construction costs, and a shortage of skilled labor. While supply chain pressures are easing out, we continue to experience long lead times for generators and specialist electrical equipment.

Canada’s industrial construction sector is expected to remain robust, with a forecasted growth of 14.9% in 2023, supported by increased investment and permits for industrial construction, as well as the government’s efforts to establish Canada as an industrial hub. The life sciences sector is also expected to grow due to investor interest and government policy support.

Patrick Ryan, Executive Vice President for the Americas at Linesight, says, “The reduction in inflation rates is positive for the industry and the outlook is improving with lower energy costs, improved supply chain conditions and significant growth in infrastructure and mission critical investments. However, the ongoing lack of skilled workers in Canada continues to pose a risk for the construction industry.”

The data in the report suggest that:

• Lumber prices have continued to drop in recent months from the highs reached in the first half of last year primarily as a result of the decreasing demand in the residential sector.
• Higher energy costs have been a key factor in the recent upward trend in cement and aggregates prices. Increased environmental regulations on production will contribute to further upward pressure on prices in the coming quarters.
• In addition to improved demand for steel, prices rose on the back of higher input costs, lower import volumes and reports of domestic mill production delays. However, with supply improving, prices are set to fall from recent highs posted in late March.
• Diesel prices dropped below CA$7 per gallon in March for the first time since February last year. With further drops in diesel prices will be contained.

“The residential construction continues to slow,” says Ryan, “but government investment in key sectors such as industrial will help boost the industry as a whole provided there is some easing of the current skilled labor shortages which is curtailing the growth opportunities.”

To request the full report, please click here.

About Linesight

Linesight is a multinational construction consultancy firm with over 48 years’ experience, providing cost, schedule, program, and project management services to a multitude of sectors including Life Sciences, Commercial, Data Centers, High-Tech Industrial, Residential, Hospitality, Healthcare, and Retail. Linesight’s specialist project teams, each with specific skills and experience, provide better predictability of project outcomes, faster project delivery, greater cost efficiency, and maximum monetary value for its clients. For further information, please visit http://www.linesight.com.

Contacts

Media Contact

Cameron Thomas

E: cameron@verbfactory.com
T: 416 660 9801

DUBLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)–IPS-Integrated Project Services, LLC, a leading provider of engineering, procurement, construction management, and validation (EPCMV) services, congratulates WuXi Biologics Ireland Limited (WuXi Biologics) for receiving a Facility of the Year Award (FOYA) from The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) in the Operations category for their Large-Scale Manufacturing Facility in Mullagharlin, Dundalk, Ireland. The IPS team of experts provided a range of services for the project, including process design, engineering, architecture, construction management, and validation support.

The ISPE Facility of the Year Awards (FOYA) program recognizes state-of-the-art pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities utilizing innovative design and construction strategies to produce high-quality, safe, cost-effective medicines. WuXi Biologics was recognized for its cutting-edge biologics manufacturing facility in Dundalk, Ireland. The FOYA judges found this project “an inspiring landmark that proves that facilities can be developed on a highly accelerated schedule, using innovative solutions while complying with regulatory requirements, overcoming unknown barriers, cooperation with the community, and upholding project success and product safety.”

Brendan McGrath, Vice President and Head of WuXi Biologics Ireland site, commented, “This recognition by ISPE is a testament to our team’s dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence. We are also extremely grateful for the exceptional work of IPS, our facility designer, whose expertise significantly contributed to our achievement. This award signifies success not only for our team but also for our clients, partners, and local community. Ultimately, it’s a victory for the patients who rely on the life-saving biologics manufactured at our Ireland site.”

The WuXi Biologics facility is one of the world’s largest contract manufacturing single-use bioreactor sites. However, the facility’s real achievement is its unprecedented flexibility in cell culture-based manufacturing regardless of batch size by “scaling out” with 12 ABEC 4,000-liter capacity bioreactors. The facility’s flexible array of highly-configurable systems and overall capability to adapt to almost any perfusion, fed-batch, concentrated fed-batch, and intensified fed-batch techniques reduce client risk. This capability, combined with innovations in automation, single-use materials, and transition time, transforms the WuXi Biologics facility into a game changer for the production of emerging antibody-based therapies on a global impact.

The project was the first in Ireland to be delivered using an innovative design-assist model. IPS developed design packages to 60% detailed design; the remaining 40% was completed with engagement from the construction team, including subcontractors. This collaborative approach improved constructability, reduced time/cost, and significantly reduced rework. The single-use technology allows for a capacity of 48,000L, making it the largest single-use bioreactor in Ireland and possibly all of Europe.

The fast-track project was completed with over 6.2 million work hours in 26 months, with an average of 2,200 employed at peak. A total of 7,610 personnel were inducted on-site. Throughout construction in 2019 and 2020, more than 75 archaeologists were empowered to dig at sites spread across the campus. The artifacts found on the site depict common and extraordinary life spread across thousands of years—everything from fine sewing needles carved from bone to medieval spearheads and a cache of shiny 10th-century coins. WuXi Biologics maintained the schedule during their archaeological preservation and COVID challenges.

“IPS has been a partner to WuXi Biologics since its early days, and it is great to see it win the prestigious Facility of the Year Award. I still remember the early days of this project conception and when WuXi Biologics procured the massive site in Dundalk. Seeing the fantastic conclusion of all the efforts that followed is truly memorable. We are honored to have been part of this state-of-the-art facility which truly represents innovation, cutting-edge technology, and excellence. Congratulations to WuXi Biologics on this incredible achievement,“ said Dave Goswami, PE, IPS Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Cell-based therapeutics are transforming modern medicine, and WuXi Biologics’ facility is highly flexible and adaptable, ensuring the facility will have the capacity to produce a variety of new cellular therapies for years to come.

About IPS

IPS, a Berkshire Hathaway Company, is a global leader in developing innovative business solutions for the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Through operational expertise and industry-leading knowledge, skill, and passion, IPS provides consultancy services, architecture, engineering, project controls, construction management, and compliance services that allow clients to develop and manufacture life-impacting products. Its newest acquisition, Linesight, specializes in cost, schedule, risk, program, and project management services in various market sectors, including data centers, life sciences, and high-tech industrial. With the addition of Linesight, IPS has over 3,000 professionals in over 45 offices across 17 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. For further information, please visit www.ipsdb.com.

About WuXi

WuXi Biologics (stock code: 2269.HK) is a leading global Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization (CRDMO) offering end-to-end solutions that enable partners to discover, develop and manufacture biologics – from concept to commercialization – for the benefit of patients worldwide.

With over 12,000 skilled employees in China, the United States, Ireland, Germany and Singapore, WuXi Biologics leverages its technologies and expertise to provide customers with efficient and cost-effective biologics discovery, development and manufacturing solutions. As of December 31, 2022, WuXi Biologics is supporting 588 integrated client projects, including 17 in commercial manufacturing.

WuXi Biologics views Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) responsibilities as an integral component of our ethos and business strategy, and we aim to become an ESG leader in the biologics CRDMO sector. Our facilities use next-generation biomanufacturing technologies and clean-energy sources. We have also established an ESG committee led by our CEO to steer the comprehensive ESG strategy and its implementation, enhancing our commitment to sustainability. For more information about WuXi Biologics, please visit www.wuxibiologics.com.

About the ISPE Facility of the Year Awards Program

Established in 2005, The Facility of the Year Awards (FOYA) recognize state-of-the-art projects utilizing new, innovative technologies to improve the quality of products, reduce the cost of producing high-quality medicines, and demonstrate advances in project delivery. The FOYA program provides a platform for the pharmaceutical science and manufacturing industry to showcase its accomplishments in facility design, construction, and operation, while sharing the development of new applications of technology and cutting-edge approaches. Visit ISPE.org/FOYA for more information.

Contacts

Dept. of Marketing and Communications

+44(0) 121 289 3471

• WWE drives down energy costs with Enlighted Lighting Solution, an occupancy-based lighting control system.
• Enlighted Data Services and Location Intelligence futureproof WWE headquarters with IoT insights and asset tracking capabilities.

SANTA CLARA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#digitaltransformation–Today Enlighted, a leading proptech company owned by Siemens, announced a new engagement with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) to support its vision of a smart, energy efficient headquarters. The leader in global entertainment that can be seen in more than 1 billion homes worldwide will use Enlighted’s intelligent lighting control, smart sensors, IoT data services and real time location services (RTLS) to achieve occupancy-based energy savings, optimal space management and provide the most productive environment for WWE employees.

WWE is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, with over 400,000 square feet of multi-purpose space including office space, studios, production and post-production facilities, conferencing, event, and outdoor terrace spaces. With the size and complexity of space types, it is essential for WWE to understand and optimize its real estate footprint using technology and software with the flexibility to address a range of uses. As part of a major renovation and digital transformation initiative, with almost 2,000 sensors over a wireless, fault-tolerant network at WWE will enable:

Enlighted Lighting Solution: Occupancy-based intelligent lighting control with flexible configurations for task tuning, daylight harvesting and efficient lighting of WWE spaces will result in bottom line energy savings and progression of WWE’s carbon neutrality.

Enlighted Data Services: Collecting data 65 times per second from sensors that measure movement, temperature and power, WWE will use specialized visualization dashboards to derive key insights for space design decisions.

Location Intelligence: WWE will use the same lighting sensing environment to reliably track assets, ranging from high value assets (memorabilia, collectibles) to operational assets (mail carts, merchandise samples, packages) in real-time for movement analysis and improved inventory management.

With Enlighted’s lighting controls as the foundation, WWE will be solving multiple IoT use cases and utilizing the open APIs, WWE will have central management, a ‘single pane of glass’ into operations.

“The new WWE headquarters is comprised of spaces intended for a variety of very different uses,” said Rajan Mehta, Chief Technology Officer, WWE. “The Enlighted IoT Smart Building technology will make it possible for us to realize enormous energy savings, increase our operating efficiencies and use data to capture building activity for intelligent data-driven space decisions. IoT-based asset tracking and process flow improvements will make our headquarters truly a smart building.”

“Space utilization isn’t just a matter of knowing how many people are in an office or production facility at a given moment—it’s about understanding how employees and guests are moving and interacting with spaces,” said Stefan Schwab, CEO of Enlighted. “The lighting-based sensors at WWE will capture vast amounts of data that WWE can use for a refined view of activity across all of their buildings. With the scalability of cloud storage, the company will be able to identify trends and preferences as they examine building usage data over time.”

About Enlighted

Enlighted is a leading proptech provider of IoT solutions at the intersection of people, space, and work. We offer a unique combination of cognitive environmental IoT sensors and lighting controls that connect to intelligent workplace experience apps, offering a singular, scalable, interoperable solution to address a spectrum of building, space, and productivity needs. Our customers leverage these solutions to enable occupant well-being, greater business efficiencies and momentum toward their sustainability goals. Enlighted is part of Building Robotics, Inc., a Siemens company. For more information, please visit us at enlightedinc.com.

Contacts

Ellen Gustafson

Enlighted
Ellen.gustafson@siemens.com
+1.415.505.6783