Vox Pop: June 2009

I’ve heard that 50% of construction activity will take place in China in the next 20 years. They have enormous potential but there are question marks over a number of things. How much will they work with Western companies? China has a lot of graduates but it’s still short of management skills. They also lack risk capital, which is one of the drivers of innovation. Mostly it’s government money and, in a communist-controlled state, I wonder how much capital there will be to allow enterprise to take place. If they’re going to compete with the West, there needs to be a sea change.

Simon Storer, external affairs director, Construction Products Association.

China is important as one of the world’s biggest economies, not just because firms like Atkins and Arup are working there, but also because of the knock-on effects for the firms in their supply chains. In the last couple of years, the price of steel worldwide has been massively affected by the huge spike in demand from China. It is still one of the few countries where they can just decide they’re going to build a new city. Its consumption of materials is potentially so huge that you can end up with a global glut or scarcity.

Graham Watts, chief executive, Construction Industry Council.

We’re a small construction firm and while we may have no direct contact with China, it’s still a growth market even in the global recession, which alone should make it important for the UK industry. There is a special relationship between China and the UK and we should grow that link even further, especially if you consider that China is often the real life test-bed for emerging technologies, which at a time of economic recession and climate change are increasingly important.

Ian McDonald FCIOB, managing director, Clerwood Construction.

I think China offers a good opportunity for the UK to recover from the recession by increasing our exports. We should expand UK construction’s presence there. China has got its work cut out in reviewing environmental policies to reduce carbon emissions. They can learn from the UK’s sustainable strategies and vice versa – I’ve heard that there are some partnerships between universities here and in China to share knowledge and develop research on sustainable construction and renewable technologies.

Emma Nicholson MCIOB, senior project manager, Stace.