What is innovation?

Innovation has never been more relevant to the construction industry. The government’s Transforming Infrastructure Performance programme is intended to drive the adoption of modern methods of construction through the power of public spending, in the hope of imitating the transformative productivity gains enjoyed by the oil and automotive industries. In the private sector, the £10m ConstrucTech accelerator fund has been recently launched to help tech start-ups get to market in the construction industry.

Many of the activities identified by the government, including the adoption of digital and manufacturing technologies, the transition to new collaborative business models, and better integrated supply chain management practices, will require a significant change in behaviour by an industry still wedded to traditional methods and forms of contracting. 

The most recent NBS National Construction Contracts and Law Report 2018 found that the overwhelming majority of construction projects are still procured on the basis of a fixed-price traditional or design and build contract following a single-stage tender process. 

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