Identifying the Perception Differences of Emerging Construction-Related Technologies between Industry and Academia to Enable High Levels of Collaboration

Emerging technologies play an essential role in improving overall productivity in the construction industry. However, this field has historically been criticized for the slow adoption of these innovative tools. To promote emerging technology adoption, exchanging knowledge and practices through academia and industry collaboration is essential. This paper analyzes the perception differences between academics and construction industry practitioners with regard to 17 emerging technologies through survey data and identifies potential technologies for high levels of collaboration from an academic perspective. The survey was designed to obtain responses about technological use, interest, maturity, implementations, applications, benefits, and barriers. Three technologies, three-dimensional (3D) printing; artificial intelligence (AI), neural networks (NNs), and deep learning (DL); and smart materials, were identified as having the highest potential for enabling collaboration. The findings from this study will allow academic researchers to strategically develop research directions that align with the needs reported by industry practitioners to sustain research funding and foster the adoption of innovative technologies in the construction fields.