IFMA Releases White Paper on Emerging Topics in Facility Management

The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) has announced the release of a new white paper, according to a news release. “Evolution is Never Finished: Insights From IFMA’s Emerging Topics Working Group on How Six Key Topics are Transforming the FM Industry” discusses the implications of six high-impact issues, drivers, and trends in the facility management industry.

The paper is available in IFMA’s Knowledge Library and covers six key topics: PropTech, AI and Generative AI, Contending with Climate Change, Circular Economy, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Reporting, and Workplace Wellness and Well-Being. The chosen topics are the result of extensive data analysis and expert opinions and are considered to be topics that could significantly affect the industry moving forward.

“The convergence of external influences such as climate change, the rapid diffusion and uptake of digital technologies, and post-pandemic societal shifts is expanding FM knowledge, skill and experience requirements. These factors have accelerated the industry’s evolution from traditional back-of-house operations and maintenance to a new data-driven, people-centric, climate- and resource-aware era of FM,” said Dean Stanberry, CFM, SFP, IFMA Board Chair and Chair of the Emerging Topics Working Group. “IFMA plays a crucial role in helping FMs navigate uncharted territory, delivering information and education to the FM community.”

The IFMA Emerging Topics Working Group debuted last year to help identify and explore the ramifications of high-impact emerging topics in the industry. The group includes 23 industry experts and seven members of IFMA’s professional staff. The process of analyzing and reporting on emerging topics will become institutionalized within the association, and the “Evolution is Never Finished” paper is slated as the first in a series of resources to be shared with the global facility management community.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • CU-Lock Haven Receives $1.75M Gift for New Entrepreneurship, Media Center

    Commonwealth University-Lock Haven in Lock Haven, Penn., recently received a $1.75-million donation from entrepreneur and alumnus Nicholas Subich ’17, according to a university news release. The funds will go toward establishing the Nicholas Subich Center for Entrepreneurship and Media, a technology-driven hub for innovation and experiential learning.

  • UT-San Antonio Begins Residence Hall Renovations

    The University of Texas at San Antonio recently began a $6-million renovation project to one of its residence halls, according to a news release. Originally completed in 1986, Chisolm Hall measures in at 120,860 square feet and is the oldest and largest residence hall on campus.

  • Cal Poly Humboldt Starts Construction on Healthcare Education Hub

    California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt in Arcata, Calif., recently announced that work has begun on a renovation project that will turn the Stewart Building into a new Healthcare Education Hub, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Sundt Construction Inc. for construction services.

  • How Proactive Maintenance Can Transform Athletic Facilities into Strategic Assets for College Sports

    College athletics is entering one of the most transformative periods in its history. With NIL reshaping financial models and competitive expectations, athletic departments across the country are being asked to do more than ever with increasingly constrained resources.