{"id":8644,"date":"2021-01-06T13:40:50","date_gmt":"2021-01-06T13:40:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=8644"},"modified":"2024-04-11T21:08:48","modified_gmt":"2024-04-11T20:08:48","slug":"innovation-in-the-construction-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/innovation-in-the-construction-industry\/8644\/","title":{"rendered":"Innovation in the construction industry"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Construction Scotland Innovation Centre is driving transformational change across the construction industry<\/h2>\n

The construction sector plays a significant role in the UK economy, employing over 9% of the workforce. Yet, when it comes to innovation and modernisation it often falls behind other sectors. In 2016, Mark Farmer\u2019s hard-hitting review of the UK construction labour model warned that the sector must \u2018modernise or die\u2019. He challenged the industry to \u2018to do things differently\u2019 and to reduce its reliance on building in the same way that it had for decades.<\/p>\n

The industry-led Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC) aims to drive that transformational change and deliver economic impact.<\/p>\n

Its CEO Stephen Good spoke to the Innovation Platform\u2019s Managing Editor Michelle Gordon about championing innovation within the sector.<\/p>\n

How is CSIC driving transformational change across the construction industry and why is it important to do so?<\/h3>\n

\u2018Innovate or die\u2019 was the clear message for the construction industry set out in the 2016 Farmer Review of the UK construction sector, being last but one in the ranking of sectors for digital modernisation and advancement. CSIC was set up to change this as one of seven publicly funded innovation centres tasked with using innovation to deliver economic benefit for Scotland.<\/p>\n

Since its beginning in 2014, CSIC has worked on more than 300 projects, creating almost 4,000 jobs and more than \u00a31bn of revenue for the Scottish construction industry.<\/p>\n

CSIC defines innovation as \u2018change that unlocks new value\u2019.\u00a0 One of CSIC\u2019s most valuable assets is its connected ecosystem of collaborators focused on driving positive change that would otherwise be impossible in silos. By linking together businesses, university experts, the public sector, and the economic development networks, its industry-led team supports a culture of innovation that drives transformational change across the construction industry.<\/p>\n

The centre\u2019s work revolves around creating new products, business models, and services; collaborating with industry to find solutions to key challenges; giving industry access to advanced equipment at its world-class innovation factory; and connecting and engaging networks through a rich events and educational programme.<\/p>\n

Our state-of-the-art Innovation Factory was the UK construction industry\u2019s first dedicated digital<\/a> manufacturing, prototyping, and future skills centre of excellence. It is home to a wide range of product development, manufacturing, robotics<\/a>, and visualisation equipment and can be accessed by companies in the sector or used together in collaborative R&D projects led by the CSIC technical team.<\/p>\n

Taking inspiration and learnings from other automated industries, equipment housed in the 35,000 sq ft facility includes the UK\u2019s only vacuum press for the production of cross laminated timber, robotics, virtual and augmented reality equipment, an insulation line, an offsite manufacturing line, and various other enabling equipment and digital tools.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The K-briq is a new sustainable brick that is made from 90% recycled building materials, specifically plasterboard, old brick and stone\u00a0<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Talk me through some of the key R&D projects\/innovations around sustainable materials that CSIC is supporting and the potential impact of these projects?<\/h3>\n

Project: K-briq: The sustainable brick<\/h4>\n