Spring 2026 - May 14 - Flipbook - Page 11
INNOVATION
FROM GENERAL’S DEN TO GLIP
Building the Next Generation of Construction Innovation
By CHRIS GREENE, SVP Innovation & Insight, American Global,
and TAMANNA LATHER, Innovation Intern, American Global
HAT YOU’RE LOOKING AT isn’t just a
W
The industry is no longer just evaluating what comes to it. It is
helping build what comes next.
student program. It’s the next
chapter of something the
industry has been building
together.
Over the past several years,
the Ontario General Contractors Association
(OGCA), through its Innovation Committee and broader member network, helped
launch General’s Den, an industry-led platform designed to evaluate emerging construction technologies in a safe, structured
way. It provided a neutral validation layer for
general contractors navigating an increasingly crowded tech marketplace.
The Innovation Committee through
the General’s Den was looking to answer a
critical question: Is this worth our time and
capital?
It helped contractors cut through noise,
reduce risk, and create clarity. And it worked.
But as the industry evolved, so did the
question.
While contractors became more effective
at evaluating what the market produced, the
industry was still largely reacting to it. At
the same time, construction entered a new
phase of accelerated change. Arti昀椀cial intelligence, automation, digital twins, sustainability mandates, labour shortages, and cost
pressures converged. Productivity challenges persisted. Decision complexity increased.
The pace of innovation intensi昀椀ed.
The question shifted from: Which tool
should we buy? to What should exist that
does not yet?
That shift sparked the evolution from
General’s Den to the General’s Lab Innovation Program (GLIP), developed through the
OGCA Innovation Committee in collaboration with American Global.
From Evaluation to Acceleration
Construction in 2026 sits at a turning point.
Digitalization and AI are becoming foundational tools for risk mitigation and operational ef昀椀ciency. Sustainability requirements
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SPRING 2026 • the generals 11
