UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has launched the ‘Future of Building’ week to celebrate the two-year anniversary of the Construction Sector Deal (CSD) and the achievements of the resulting £170m UKRI Transforming Construction challenge.
The Deal set out an ambitious partnership between government and industry with the aim of transforming the sector’s productivity through innovative technologies and a more highly skilled workforce.
As part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, Government funding of £170m was subsequently allocated for the Transforming Construction challenge, which has funded live projects proving that by using modern methods of construction, buildings such as schools, homes and office blocks can be delivered 50% faster, with emissions slashed by half and productivity up 15% to close the gap with the rest of the economy.
The ‘Future of Building’ week will showcase these projects driving change in the construction industry. A range of activities are planned throughout the week, including updates from the challenge and funded projects as well as a webinar bringing project leads together to discuss the future of building. On Monday 13th July the ‘Future of Building’ web page went live, providing updates of funded projects highlighting how each is dealing with specific issues in the construction sector. https://www.ukri.org/innovation/industrial-strategy-challenge-fund/transforming-construction/future-of-building/
The agenda for the week includes:
- Tuesday 14th July: A webinar in collaboration with the FT, on the Transforming Construction challenge featuring three advanced projects on their achievements to date.
- Wednesday 15th July: Sam Stacey, Challenge Director, speaking on a webinar led by the Bristol Brownfield Group, on the topic of Modern Methods of Construction: Risk, Relevance and Reward.
- Thursday 16th July: Construction Innovation Hub are launching their ‘Value Toolkit’.
Sam Stacey, UKRI Transforming Construction Challenge Director, said: “The Construction Sector Deal has brought the industry together as never before, aligning the aims of clients, suppliers, designers and the users of buildings, and this is why we are marking this anniversary.
“The resulting Transforming Construction challenge is revolutionising the construction of homes, schools and offices, changing the way we live, work and learn for the better. The ‘Future of Building’ week is our opportunity to celebrate these successes at a time when the sector is adopting modern methods of construction faster than ever.”
