Vicente Gonzalez-Moret

Vicente Gonzalez-Moret serves as Professor and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Digital Lean Construction within the Faculty of Engineering's Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of Alberta. Appointed in October 2022, he rapidly secured over CAN$3.9 million in research funding during his first nine months and established the Infrastructure Human Tech Lab (IHT-Lab), pioneering commercialization-focused student research. Previously, he spent over 12 years at the University of Auckland where he founded the CAD$1.0 million Smart Digital Lab and currently holds an Honorary Academic position.

His educational background includes:

• PhD in Construction Engineering and Management (Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, 2008)
• ME in Construction Engineering and Management (Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, 2004)
• BE (Hons) in Construction Engineering (Universidad de Valparaiso, Chile, 1999)

Gonzalez-Moret's research pioneers the Lean Construction 4.0 concept at the intersection of Construction Engineering and Management with Computer Science. His work extensively applies extended reality technologies, digital twinning, AI, BIM, and serious games to construction engineering, safety, and evacuation problems. With over CAN$64 million secured in research and teaching grants - including the largest corporate sponsorship in University of Auckland history - his research demonstrates exceptional industry impact and technological innovation.

His 15 most recent publications reveal a strong focus on digital transformation in construction, with recurring themes in lean-digital integration, socio-technical systems, and practical implementation frameworks. Key areas include digital twin applications for offsite construction, ethical AI deployment, blockchain governance, and immersive VR for production planning - all advancing his foundational Lean Construction 4.0 paradigm.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Tier 1 Canada Research Chair (2022)
• Editorship of the seminal 'Lean Construction 4.0' book (Routledge, 2022)
• Associate Editor roles (Advanced Engineering Informatics, Lean Construction Journal)
• Leadership in international organizations (Former General Secretary, International Group for Lean Construction)

As an educator, he has supervised completion of 88 BE(Hons) projects, 7 Master's theses, 15 PhD theses, and 2 postdoctoral fellows. Currently supervising 8 PhD and 1 MSc students, he founded Alberta's first ASCE student chapter. His grant portfolio includes major industry partnerships and leadership in the Infrastructure Human Tech Lab, which develops commercially viable student research. Additional leadership roles span Lean Design and Construction Canada (Founding Board) and indigenous advocacy (Bent Arrow Board).