The Transforming Construction
Network Plus
A national community to unite and transform
the UK construction industry.
the UK construction industry.
The Transforming Construction Network Plus
The Transforming Construction Network Plus (N+) mobilises a new movement in the construction community, bringing together experts from a range of disciplines to tackle the most pressing problems across the digital, energy, construction, and manufacturing space.
The vision for the N+ is to deliver transformational impact by adopting an integrated approach, situating construction as a production system for built assets that adds value to cities and their infrastructures.
Since the launch of the programme in November 2018, the N+ has engaged directly with more than 2,300 people, uniting academic researchers with industry and policy representatives through networking and skills-building events. The N+ also provides funding for research projects aiming to address some of the biggest problems currently facing the construction industry.
The aim of the N+ is to provoke, enable and amplify innovation, through four main objectives:
The vision for the N+ is to deliver transformational impact by adopting an integrated approach, situating construction as a production system for built assets that adds value to cities and their infrastructures.
Since the launch of the programme in November 2018, the N+ has engaged directly with more than 2,300 people, uniting academic researchers with industry and policy representatives through networking and skills-building events. The N+ also provides funding for research projects aiming to address some of the biggest problems currently facing the construction industry.
The aim of the N+ is to provoke, enable and amplify innovation, through four main objectives:
- Knowledge: to inform new research and development (R&D) models and government policy that link digital, construction, manufacturing and energy to improve productivity
- Community building: to advance collaborations through knowledge exchange and debate, beyond what is currently possible
- Business models: to produce user-informed, practical resources that accelerate pathways to manufacture and delivery
- Investment and legacy: to de-risk and increase construction sector business R&D spend and enable new R&D collaborations that outlive the grant
The N+ is one of the investments in the Transforming Construction Challenge - the UK government’s challenge to the construction industry and research communities to make buildings more affordable, efficient, safer and healthier. The N+ is a joint project between The Bartlett, UCL’s Faculty of the Built Environment, Imperial College London and WMG, University of Warwick. Find out more about the N+ team.
Research Programme
The N+ research team has a mission to add to the body of knowledge that informs future construction practice and policy. The N+ is developing research exploring business model and industry change, along with an industry focused digest series. The team is also working with the academic-led projects funded by the N+ to identify emergent themes that can enhance research investments and accelerate industry transformation.
Researching emerging business models
In October 2019, the N+ research team published their first digest, ‘Changing Business Models: Implications for Construction’.
The digest summarises influential ideas about business models from industry and academia and provide a structure for exploring how their business models can be changed.
Exploring platforms in construction
In March 2020, the N+ research team published their second digest, 'Platform Thinking for Construction'.
The digest aims to clarify the ongoing conversation around platform thinking in construction, and organise how we consider the benefits of adopting a platform strategy.
In March 2020, the N+ research team published their second digest, 'Platform Thinking for Construction'.
The digest aims to clarify the ongoing conversation around platform thinking in construction, and organise how we consider the benefits of adopting a platform strategy.
Research Projects
Pursuing its ambition to transform the way we build in the UK, the N+ supports small research projects which respond to the objectives set by the Transforming Construction Network Plus. Awarded through two funding calls, the small projects tackle the most pervasive problems holding back the UK Construction Industry.
Small Projects - Round 1
- Challenging Space Frontiers in Hospitals
- Developing consistent benchmarks to drive improved performance in construction projects
- Digital Enablers for Construction Transformation (DECONT)
- Putting people at the heart of future social housing design and manufacture.
Small Projects - Round 2
- A Toolkit for Collaborative Construction: A Values-Centred Approach to AR and MMC for Housing
- Design Optimisation and Prototyping for Affordable Rural Housing
- Developing a Tool Kit for Knowledge Integration: Envisioning Buildings as Energy service
- DigiConCo-Op: Transforming Micro-Project Delivery through Digital Co-Operative Construction
- Digital-Twins in Construction: Towards an ontological Model Development and Integration Framework
- Digitisation: opportunity or threat for Occupational Health and Safety and Wellbeing in Construction Industry
- Transitioning to an automated construction supply chain: future business model innovation for SMEs
- TransPark
- Utilising Innovative Methods of Data Capture for Regulatory Compliance Checking
The N+ ambition was at the heart of the network’s first annual conference: Creating a Movement for Change.
Undoubtedly a red-letter day for the N+, this one-day event shaped the first steps of the movement, by not only featuring renowned speakers and thinkers, but also by gathering together a diverse and large audience of academics, industry and government representatives.
The conference was designed to give the 150 attendees a new opportunity to explore new perspectives and go beyond their own expertise.
A summary of the the first conference can be found on our website.
Undoubtedly a red-letter day for the N+, this one-day event shaped the first steps of the movement, by not only featuring renowned speakers and thinkers, but also by gathering together a diverse and large audience of academics, industry and government representatives.
The conference was designed to give the 150 attendees a new opportunity to explore new perspectives and go beyond their own expertise.
A summary of the the first conference can be found on our website.
Contact
For general enquiries about the conference or the N+,
please contact the network team: enquiries.tcnetworkplus@ucl.ac.uk
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© Transforming Construction Network Plus 2020