The Challenge
The Construction Sector Deal has reached its two year mark. This means the Transforming Construction Challenge has now passed the halfway point in its four year programme. Many challenges have come at the sector through this period, yet the investments made to transform construction are thriving. These projects are revolutionising the construction of homes, schools and offices, changing the way we live, work and learn is all set to change for the better.
The Sector Deal and Transforming Construction Challenge has brought together contractors, supply chain, innovators, government, clients and the research community to accelerate the change the sector was already embracing. It is rapidly overturning a culture, in which the priority was being given to the cheapest solution. Instead, we are all now moving together to deliver greater ‘whole life value’ to society.
Targets from the outset of the Challenge were: buildings delivered 50% faster, costs reduced by 33%, emissions slashed by half and productivity raised by 15% to close the gap with the rest of the economy. What we are seeing is that project after project is demonstrating exactly this scale of improvements. As the new approaches and technologies are more widely adopted, the Challenge expects even bigger gains to be made.
The approaches of all the projects invested in are based on the three central challenges of:
• moving to a manufacturing approach – from suppliers right through to site
• embracing digital technologies to provide assurance, efficiency of projects and performance feedback to design; and
• shifting to selling outcomes and maximising ‘whole life value’ of assets.
Over the next two years, the Challenge will be sharing the successes of the pioneering innovators it has supported to make the case for everyone to shift with confidence.
More information on the Transforming Construction Challenge can be found on UK Research and Innovation website.