Advancing digital innovation in the AEC industry: A bibliometric analysis on the BIM, AI and IoT integration

Abstract Recently digitalization is reshaping the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry, especially through the integration of Building Information Modeling (BIM) with emerging technologies, notably the Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Previous research highlights the transformative benefits of these advancements, by enabling efficient data sharing, fostering effective collaboration, enhancing visualization, and improving productivity and safety. However, the fusion of BIM with IoT, and AI remains in its infancy. This research endeavors to take into account this gap by conducting a bibliometric analysis to map key themes, identify emerging trends, and pinpoint gaps among current scholarly findings, using VOSviewer and a dataset of 122 academic articles, spanning the years 2019 to 2024, sourced from the Scopus database. Findings reveal the increasing adoption of BIM as a backbone for data exchange, IoT to capture real-time data and AI for predictive analysis and automation. Technologies such as digital twins, blockchain, and machine learning are identified as significant yet underexplored areas, offering new opportunities for innovation. Challenges such as interoperability and the integration of sustainability principles persist, indicating directions for future research. This study lays a solid groundwork for both researchers and practitioners aiming to navigate and leverage the dynamic advancements in BIM, AI, and IoT within the AEC industry.