We use a number of strategies – including questionnaires and in-depth workshops with client teams – to gather as much qualitative and quantitative data as we can.

These are the people with the higher level skills who can land straight into management roles of organisations and really make significant shifts in how things are done.Moreover, organisations need to create space for people with these skills, because this isn’t always the case at the moment.. It’s also important to acknowledge the work that is already being done in this area.

Bryden Wood’s digital configurator apps are deliberately aimed at lowering the barrier to entry, while Professor Glass notes that at UCL there’s a part of the faculty entirely composed of data scientists looking at the built environment.There’s work for everybody to do on this, we just need to make a home for people in the sector.On a somewhat similar note, the industry also needs to start making better use of its existing data.

We can’t expect to get into digital twins and smart assets, if we aren’t making the most of the data we already have access to.. Further exploration into the future of construction.Professor Glass explains that as we turn our efforts towards shaping the future of construction, one of the areas we need to prioritise is our action on net zero and climate change.

With construction currently contributing 39% to global carbon emissions, we simply aren’t moving fast enough and the issue needs to be brought forward.

She also says that while her team has really begun to understand the business model innovation that’s possible, they don’t yet understand how to take it forward.So, where will this end up?

Ultimately, we believe you will be able to get a price instantly from a vast, distributed network of small suppliers, as you develop your construction Platform model.These suppliers will also be publishing details of their pipelines and capabilities, enabling you to plan your project precisely.

Moreover, as all of these standardised components will be inexpensive, we don’t believe we’ll be costing solely on pure, capital costs.There will also be a focus on other factors: the carbon footprint of the individual manufacturer, what they spend on R&D, staff welfare, and so on.