34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34) - Singapore, Singapore - 2026

https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0252

Aligning research and adoption through agile roadmapping in construction innovation

Anas Itani1, Ali Golabchi2, Gaang Lee3, Yasser Mohamed4 & Simaan Abourizk5

1Postdoctoral Fellow, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0001-5516-8829
2Adjunct Professor/Executive Director, Mechanical Engineering/Construction Innovation Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-5499-3218
3Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering/, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-6341-2585
4Professor/Director, Civil and Environmental Engineering/Construction Innovation Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0000-0000-0000
5Distinguished University Professor/Dean, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-4788-9121

Abstract

Construction innovation initiatives frequently fail to achieve sustained adoption despite significant research investment. These challenges are driven less by technical limitations than by fragmented governance, misaligned incentives, and organizational resistance to change. This paper proposes an agile, evidence-based roadmapping approach that reframes roadmapping as a governance and change mechanism within construction innovation ecosystems. The approach integrates literature synthesis, benchmarking of innovation centers, structured stakeholder interviews, and foresight analysis to align research priorities with adoption readiness across short-, medium-, and long-term horizons. Illustrated through the Construction Innovation Center at the University of Alberta, the findings demonstrate how integrating diverse evidence streams enhances stakeholder alignment, reduces uncertainty, and shifts attention from research outputs toward adoption outcomes. The study contributes to the People, Culture, and Change track by positioning roadmapping as a dynamic coordination and learning process grounded in lean principles of pull-based prioritization, transparency, and iterative improvement.

Keywords

Research roadmapping, lean construction, governance, innovation adoption, organizational change.

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Reference in APA 7th edition format:

Itani, A., Golabchi, A., Lee, G., Mohamed, Y. & Abourizk, S.. (2026). Aligning research and adoption through agile roadmapping in construction innovation. In Hamzeh, F., Poshdar, M., & Garcia-Lopez,, N. P. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34) (pp. 1241–1251). https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0252

Shortened reference for use in IGLC papers:

Itani, A., Golabchi, A., Lee, G., Mohamed, Y. & Abourizk, S.. (2026). Aligning research and adoption through agile roadmapping in construction innovation. IGLC34. https://doi.org/10.24928/2026/0252

 

Founded in 1993, the IGLC is an international network of researchers from practice and academia in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) who feel that the practice, education, and research of the AEC industry have to be radically renewed in order to respond to the global challenges ahead.

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