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EXPORT DATE: 19 June 2026

@CONFERENCE{Salhab2026,
author={Salhab, Diana and Hamzeh, Farook and Mohamed, Yasser and AbouRizk, Simaan },
editor={Hamzeh, Farook and Poshdar, Mani and Garcia-Lopez,, Nelly P. },
title={A boundary-spanning playbook for digital construction innovation}, 
journal={Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34)}, 
booktitle={Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 34)}, 
year={2026},
pages={38-49},
url={http://www.iglc.net/papers/details/2480},
doi={10.24928/2026/0168},
affiliation={Postdoctoral Fellow, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, University of Alberta (UofA), Edmonton, Canada, salhab@ualberta.ca, orcid.org/0000-0003-0307-6193 ; Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, UofA, Edmonton, Canada, hamzeh@ualberta.ca, orcid.org/0000-0002-3986-9534 ; Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, UofA, Edmonton, Canada, yasser.mohamed@ualberta.ca, orcid.org/0000-0001-9170-9557 ; Distinguished Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, UofA, Edmonton, Canada, abourizk@ualberta.ca, orcid.org/0000-0002-4788-9121 },
abstract={Beyond the prevailing gap between academic research and industry practice, construction enterprises often lack the mechanisms to systematically identify and develop digital innovation opportunities embedded in their everyday operations. In practice, many operational challenges are recognized informally but are not consistently translated into digital tools, data-driven processes, or automation initiatives that can scale across the organization. Hence, this paper introduces the Boundary-Spanner Playbook as a structured framework that supports construction enterprises in systematically identifying and developing their internal innovation potential while institutionalizing collaboration with academia. The methodology adopts a Design Science Research approach and comprises six phases: Elicitation, Coding and Normalization, Prioritization, Mapping to Academic and Research Projects, Governance Setup, and Portfolio Replication. It operationalizes the boundary-spanning role as a repeatable process that translates operational challenges into digital tool-enabled innovation opportunities, integrating organizational learning and research translation. The framework is implemented within a large Canadian construction enterprise. Results demonstrate that the Playbook allows rapid identification and prioritization of digitally mediated innovation opportunities and embeds research collaboration within corporate decision-making structures. },
author_keywords={Boundary spanning, digital innovation, industry-academia collaboration, research translation. },
address={Singapore, Singapore },
issn={2789-0015 },
publisher={ },
language={English},
document_type={Conference Paper},
source={IGLC},
}