News Detail

Collaboration Advances ACI

3/1/2024

Having just registered for the ACI Concrete Convention – Spring 2024 in New Orleans, LA, USA, the topic of face-to-face meetings is truly on my mind. Fittingly, a friend recently forwarded to me a very interesting and relevant article: “Remote Collaboration Fuses Fewer Breakthrough Ideas” by Yiling Lin et al. (Article)

The article addresses the topic of research creativity by analyzing remote versus in-person connectivity. The authors analyzed “20 million research articles between 1960 and 2020 and 4 million patent applications between 1976 and 2020 across the globe” and concluded that “across all fields, periods, and team sizes, researchers in these remote teams are consistently less likely to make breakthrough discoveries relative to their onsite counterparts.” Further, they reported that “remote teams (are) more siloed, which in turn stifles creativity. For example, a recent laboratory experiment shows that virtual communication helps idea selection but curbs early-stage idea generation. Meanwhile, other studies find that sporadic hallway talks, which do not happen in the virtual world, catalyze lab collaboration for unconventional innovation.”

There is an important parallel with our in-person meetings at conventions. We get together to network and develop friendships, but equally important, we meet in committees not just to vote but to generate debates and new ideas. Similarly, technical presentations are the occasion for addressing emerging technologies and applications. We cannot effectively do all this by sitting in front of a computer screen. I urge you to not only attend conventions, but to take the opportunity they provide to create new knowledge and codify it in ways that are safe and sustainable.

My second topic is to tell you more about the leadership structure of the Institute. The ultimate authority is the ACI Board of Direction that meets twice a year at ACI Conventions. The Officers of the Institute are the President, the two Vice Presidents, the Immediate Past President, and the Executive Vice President. They form the Executive Committee (EC) that acts on behalf of the Board of Direction between Board meetings and meets at conventions as well as two more times a year (typically January and July). The EC conducted its winter meeting in Henderson, NV, USA, just outside Las Vegas, NV, on January 20 and 21, 2024. The choice of the venue was to allow an easy transfer to World of Concrete starting the following day.

Among the many topics covered was the Institute’s international strategy. While no action was taken, further discussion will occur at the Spring Convention with the objective of developing a plan for Board of Direction approval. This is an important and timely endeavor that goes hand-in-hand with “Outlook 2040,” an environmental scan document being developed by an EC Task Group chaired by Vice President Maria Juenger, slated for presentation to the Board of Direction at the Spring Convention. An international strategy is important for ACI for many reasons, as it will ensure a proper allocation of finite resources, guide our future actions, and determine our global identity.

This memo is my last one. In the April issue, ACI Executive Vice President Fred Grubbe will summarize his views on the state of the Institute. The first memo of the 101st President, Michael Paul, will follow in the May issue of CI. With him, we have the best individual starting the second century of ACI Presidents.

As many of my predecessors have indicated, to say that it was a privilege to serve the Institute in this capacity is an understatement. My understanding of our organization, the industry, and its stakeholders has increased manyfold. I have listened and learned while interacting with students and practitioners. I have been made aware of so many new ideas and accomplishments, of challenges and opportunities, and, most of all, of the great admiration and expectation that individuals and organizations have of ACI.

My activities have mainly focused on the international front, as I believe that our mission must cover the globe. ACI can do so much in terms of safety and sustainability of concrete construction as well as in elevating the quality of the workforce for practical outcomes but also the dignity of all who contribute. I look forward to seeing many of you in New Orleans as well as at future conventions, and, as importantly, I pledge to continue contributing to the work and endeavors of the Institute.

Antonio Nanni