To embed a digital by default approach across infrastructure projects, governments need to elevate their capability and capacity, particularly on project teams. A good start is to appoint a digital asset champion on all projects above $50 million.106 This role would ensure the project is pursuing every opportunity to implement digital by default across the asset's lifecycle and is following relevant approaches and standards such as ISO 19650 (the international standard for managing information over the lifecycle of an asset).
While building this capability in-house, governments may choose to appoint third parties for digital estate management. As an interim step, this would ensure critical information is being captured, shared and used over time, and would increase value for money for every asset.
It is possible to accelerate Australian infrastructure's transformation towards digital by default by looking ahead at sectors that began the transition some time ago. Australia's mining and oil and gas sectors have embraced digitalisation through model-based system engineering, remote operations, embedded sensors, artificial intelligence and robotics.107