SCUBE have identified the following key challenges facing the built environment sector namely: sustainability, inclusivity, resilience, globalisation, rapid technological change, economic sectoral change, urban management, global warming and environmental issues, social justice, urban growth management and infrastructure provision. The sustainability oriented innovative technologies research agenda will be grounded in the body of knowledge across various disciplines that presently underpins research as well as teaching and learning in the CEM department and EBE faculty. Moreover, the research agenda is expected to be driven by sustainability oriented cyber technologies in the entire life span of built environment projects and to address the fundamental technical and managerial issues in built environment sector:
- Enhance sustainability, inclusivity and resilience of built environment projects and sector by utilising innovative methods and cyber technologies.
- Determine the social, environmental and economic impacts of various innovative methods and cyber technologies on lifecycle of built environment projects and society.
- Identify the most appropriate innovative methods and cyber technologies for African built environment projects based on the characteristics and context of the project and society.
- Optimise the value capture within the African built environment sector for stakeholders and society through adopting sustainability-oriented cyber technologies.
- Determine the potential solutions to address the existing challenges of digitisation and digitalisation of African built environment projects and sector.
- Articulate the nexus between sustainability/sustainable development and 4IR and technological innovation in African built environment projects and sectors.
As illustrated, the knowledge areas or thrusts will be examined through the global south lens, but with a particular focus on Africa. Based on the interdisciplinary nature of the built environment components it is anticipated that there will be three main sustainability-orientated cyber research themes within the overarching research agenda, namely:
- Sustainability-Oriented Cyber Technologies in Buildings: Smart and Sustainable Buildings;
- Sustainability-Oriented Cyber Technologies in Infrastructure Projects: Smart, Sustainable and Resilience Infrastructure; and
- Sustainability-Oriented Cyber Technologies in Cities: Smart, Sustainable, Inclusive and Resilience Cities.