The three-year Erasmus+ project BIRGIT (training on Building InfoRmation models integrated with Geographical InformaTion), in which Ocellus participated and acted as project coordinator, concluded in January 2025. The project involved universities, vocational education providers, and companies in the fields of BIM and geodata from five European countries: AIN (Spain), EfVET (Belgium), FORMA.Azione and GISIG (Italy), and Novogit AB (Sweden).
The aim of BIRGIT was to develop educational materials for both students and professionals, demonstrating how BIM and GIS can be integrated. In the initial phase of the project, interviews were conducted with companies, education providers, and industry representatives to assess the need for BIM/GIS competence. In the second phase, a comprehensive inventory of existing training programs and software supporting BIM/GIS integration was carried out – revealing a significant lack of such courses.
In the third phase, based on findings from phases one and two, three learning modules were developed:
- Introduction to BIM
A basic overview of Building Information Modeling, including key concepts, benefits, and applications within the construction and infrastructure sectors. - 3D GIS, City Models, and Digital Twins
An explanation of how three-dimensional city models and digital twins are created, managed, and used in urban development projects. - BIM–GIS Integration
An overview of the principles, opportunities, and challenges involved in merging BIM and GIS in practical workflows.
Parts of the material will be made available through future course offerings from Ocellus.
In the final stage of the BIRGIT project, a Multiplier Event (conference) was held in each partner country. Sweden’s event took place in Stockholm on October 18, 2024, gathering participants from government agencies, major consulting firms, other industry companies, municipalities, industry organizations, and construction and housing companies, both in person and via livestream.
During the conference, organizations such as Lantmäteriet, Trafikverket, Luleå Municipality, and Geoforum shared how they are working with BIM/GIS integration and their perspectives on the skills needed in Sweden. Ocellus and Novogit presented the results of the BIRGIT project and described how Ocellus plans to integrate BIM/GIS into its vocational education programs. The event highlighted the current shortage of skills and educational opportunities in the field and emphasized the importance of continued investment in BIM/GIS integration.
In the recently approved final report, BIRGIT received 82 out of 100 possible points and has now been labeled as “Good Practice” on the Erasmus+ Project Results Platform – something we are very proud of!
Read more about the project’s results and evaluation:
https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/2021-1-SE01-KA220-VET-000028000