Speech Andrey Nikulin
The Nevsky Construction Forum 2026 took place in Saint Petersburg on 15–16 October. This year, the central theme was the security of critical infrastructure. The two-day business program was hosted by the Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering. The forum was organized by the Codex Consortium and CDK Forum Skills LLC.
SPbGASU not only provided a venue for professional dialogue but also took an active part in discussing current issues facing the construction industry.
Opening the forum, Andrey Nikulin, Dean of the SPbGASU Faculty of Civil Engineering, noted that hosting a professional event at an architecture and civil engineering university is significant for the training of future specialists. "Our university has been serving the construction sector for 195 years. This represents our contribution to the creation of major construction companies and industrial complexes, as industrial and civil engineering form the foundation crucial for modern life," he remarked.
According to him, safety issues in construction and industrial production should be incorporated into the educational process. "Today’s topic—the protection of industrial facilities—is extremely important; therefore, we must begin instilling these knowledge and skills in our students while they are still at university," the dean emphasized.
Andrey Nikulin paid special attention to the protection of cultural and architectural heritage sites. He noted that preserving such sites requires a systematic approach to security, and that restoring what has been lost often proves to be significantly more difficult and costly than providing initial protection.
The forum’s agenda covered a wide range of issues related to the safety of capital construction projects, including an analysis of new requirements for developers and facility operators, as mandated by Presidential Decree No. 604, "On Measures to Ensure the Security of Critical Infrastructure Facilities." Furthermore, participants discussed digital security and the application of artificial intelligence in construction, import substitution and pricing strategies within the current economic landscape, construction oversight, and the regulatory requirements for the expert review of project documentation.
Vadim Rokhlin, an Assistant at the SPbGASU Department of Architectural and Engineering Constructions, delivered a presentation titled "Sensible digitalization and artificial intelligence: the use of AI in architectural visualization — pros, cons, and risks."
As part of the "Digital Dead End" discussion club, experts explored the prospects for information modeling and digital oversight, while also examining the hidden challenges associated with automation and software system incompatibilities. The club was attended by Sergey Bovteev, an Associate Professor at the SPbGASU Department of Construction Management.
