The new partnership will give building owners and operators real-time data-driven insights into their assets to make better decisions and reduce costs Asite, the world’s leading data platform for the built environment, is delighted to announce a new partnership with SmartViz, an intuitive digital twin platform that boosts the performance
Cintoo, the leader in providing a cutting-edge SaaS-based cloud solution for managing reality capture data such as laser scanning for the construction, architectural and engineering disciplines, is proud to announce that it has been accepted as an Autodesk Construction Cloud Premium Integration partner. As a leader in promoting collaborative efforts
Arloid Automation, a global leader in AI-based solutions designed to simplify MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering) systems management for a broad portfolio of real estate, states that the use of AI within any building management system could lead to significant savings of up to 30% on energy and coolant
Glodon Gsite, a cloud-based software for construction management and information handling, has been shortlisted for Construction Software of the Year at the London Construction Awards, which will be held on 23 September 2022. The London Construction Awards is part of London Build, the UK’s leading construction and design show. The awards
Legrand has strengthened its data centre solutions offering with the acquisition of Bedford-based infrastructure specialist USystems. Acquiring USystems’ entire portfolio, which includes the world-leading ColdLogik cooling technology, the deal further strengthens Legrand’s position in providing added-value solutions in the growing data centre market. The acquisition will help Legrand expand its
LEADING contract management software provider Sypro is seeking to demystify the usage of NEC contracts within the construction industry through a series of free online drop-in sessions hosted by Dr Stuart Kings. Dr Kings is one of the drafters of NEC4 and co-author of NEC3 and NEC4 Practical Solutions. He
Johnson Controls, the global leader for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings has announced that it will open an OpenBlue Innovation Centre in its global HQ at One Albert Quay, Cork, Ireland. The OpenBlue Innovation Centre in Cork aims to create a future-ready built environment for both local and global customers
Countries around the world are setting accelerated targets for decarbonization. In the UK, the government’s latest Carbon Budget features plans to reduce emissions by 78% by 2035 – compared to 1990 levels – taking the nation more than three-quarters of the way to reaching net zero by 2050.[1] Moreover, in
A new study from Juniper Research has found that the number of buildings globally deploying smart building technologies will reach 115 million in 2026, from 45 million in 2022. This growth of over 150% reflects increasing demand for energy efficiency from businesses and residents alike, as energy costs spike. Juniper
The first two episodes of a new podcast have already caught the attention of construction bosses this month, exploring urgent issues around the skills shortages in construction and the best ways to train the new generation. The new ‘Construction Talk’ podcast interviewed Alasdair Reisner, chief executive of the Civil Engineering
The new partnership will give building owners and operators real-time data-driven insights into their assets to make better decisions and reduce costs Asite, the world’s leading data platform for the built environment, is delighted to announce a new partnership with SmartViz, an intuitive digital twin platform that boosts the performance of assets. This new partnership will expand operational capabilities available to asset owners. It will also enable outcome-driven digital twins through real-time data and occupancy analytics, simulations, and visualizations for asset performance optimization. Building on a combined experience of over 40 years, the new Asite and SmartViz partnership will unlock a range of benefits for the AECO industry and open a new world of digital possibilities for the future of work. Nathan Doughty, Asite CEO, said: “We are incredibly excited about this new partnership with SmartViz and the world of opportunity it opens for us and the built environment as a whole. Digital twins are transforming the AECO industry and the world as we know it, ushering in a new and exciting digital era. We are proud to be at the forefront of this technological advancement and reinforce our reputation as one of the industry’s most forward-thinking and innovative service providers. The Asite Platform connects our growing ecosystem of partners through standardized interfaces, consolidating our strengths to unlock everything digital twins have to offer.” Dr. Shrikant B. Sharma, Founder & CEO at SmartViz Ltd, said: “This is an exciting moment for SmartViz and our industry. SmartViz’s innovative digital twin application together with Asite Platform can truly empower our clients to boost building performance and user experience. It’s just not acceptable that buildings still consume 3.5x more energy and release 3.8x more co2 than they should. This needs to change. For that we need to break data silos, and make it accessible, insightful and empower everyone from the COO and CFO to the estate directors, facilities managers and end users. That’s what this partnership delivers by enhancing space utilisation, saving energy and supercharging the productivity and wellbeing of people – all highly relevant issues in light of the climate challenges, net zero goals, and post-covid world adapting to hybrid working.” The new partnership is a testament to Asite’s promise to support sustainability in the built environment in the move to Net Zero. Through this partnership, real-life, real-time digital twins will be created and will be used to make more effective decisions by turning data into insights and outcomes. Asset information—CO2, light, humidity, and occupancy levels—can be aggregated from a myriad of IoT sensors and smart building systems, and visualized on an asset model in real-time to determine where energy is being lost within the asset and if space is being used efficiently. The partnership provides the tools necessary to build more productive and energy-efficient assets, improving building performance and sustainability while helping reduce costs. To find out more about innovation at Asite, please contact sales@asite.com.
Cintoo, the leader in providing a cutting-edge SaaS-based cloud solution for managing reality capture data such as laser scanning for the construction, architectural and engineering disciplines, is proud to announce that it has been accepted as an Autodesk Construction Cloud Premium Integration partner. As a leader in promoting collaborative efforts and providing cloud-based resources in the areas of digital design and construction, Cintoo is providing its extensive knowledge and thought leadership in reality capture to promote the combined use of Autodesk Construction Cloud® and Cintoo Cloud for all aspects of design and construction. Using Cintoo Cloud, BIM or CAD files can be seamlessly uploaded for comparison to the mesh-based laser scan and drone data. They can then be compared to the as-built conditions to evaluate them against the intended design. Cintoo’s goal in joining the Autodesk Construction Cloud Premium Integration partner program is to drive reality data adoption to help builders reduce costs by ensuring what is being built is according to the plans. “Cintoo is proud to participate in the Autodesk Construction Cloud Premium Integration Partner program. Our membership will allow interested users to learn about the latest advancements in reality capture, providing leading edge support for their Autodesk BIM or CAD designs. By joining the Autodesk Construction Cloud Premium Integration Partner program, Cintoo confirms its goal to provide more value to Autodesk customers. We offer a browser-based solution that leverages a unique point cloud-to-mesh technology and the TurboMesh™ streaming engine, to allow any expert or non-expert access to high resolution 3D scans and models from anywhere at any time,” said Dominique Pouliquen, CEO and Product Manager at Cintoo. “Autodesk Construction Cloud customers are among the most ardent users of Cintoo Cloud by utilizing inherent uploading of Autodesk BIM models for design comparison to scanned reality data. Working in concert with Autodesk Construction Cloud, users can easily create and share annotations or issues with their distributed team members.” “By positioning Cintoo Cloud with the Autodesk Construction Cloud Premium Integration Partner program, users can create additional value for all Autodesk Construction Cloud customers. Cintoo allows users to easily and continuously update their BIM and CAD models and optimize their decision-making process over the life of the project.” Cintoo’s Chief Sales Officer Rob Rasnic further stated, “Reality capture is an essential component of the Autodesk Construction Cloud ecosystem and Cintoo is proud to work in collaboration with the Autodesk Construction Cloud Premium Integration Partner program to educate and inform all users on all aspects of optimizing their designs thanks to accurate, trustful and shareable reality capture data.” To learn more about Cintoo Cloud please visit: https://cintoo.com/ or go to the Autodesk App Store here: Cintoo Autodesk App Store
Arloid Automation, a global leader in AI-based solutions designed to simplify MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering) systems management for a broad portfolio of real estate, states that the use of AI within any building management system could lead to significant savings of up to 30% on energy and coolant use. In this sense, AI could be further used by EU member states to help reach the voluntary 15% gas reduction target. Member states agreed to reduce their gas demand by 15% compared to their average consumption in the past five years, between 1 August 2022 and 31 March 2023, with measures of their own choice, according to the Council of the EU. The importance of reducing energy demand cannot be overemphasised largely due to supplies from Russia being significantly reduced, erratic and they may be stopped altogether. Arloid’s AI system can be implemented without any hidden costs, which makes it one of the cheapest and easiest ways for EU states to significantly reduce energy consumption with no upfront costs and get a step closer to reaching their gas target. Once installed, companies can start savings and, once those savings have been established, a percentage fee can be charged. For a company to reduce its energy usage with Arloid’s AI system, it needs to follow a series of simple steps. In the first instance, a virtual building identical to the one where savings are to be made is produced. This digital building has the same construction materials, location, climate and personnel attributes as the real one in order to help AI make a series of simulations based on live data from the real building. This process takes about a month, which is a lot faster than if it was done by building services engineers or property managers in the real world. The AI intuitively adjusts the heating, ventilation and cooling settings, thus resulting in real savings. Imagine a world where all these changes are automatically done – then imagine what can be achieved. It’s not only saving energy and money, but improving comfort too. Arloid’s AI uses Deep Reinforcement Learning to automatically manage the operation of HVAC systems in a wide range of buildings via a secure Virtual Private Network (VPN). It then makes decisions based on reinforcement behaviour and real-time data to provide faster optimisation and better HVAC performance. By controlling each HVAC device in the system and dividing the building into distinct heating and cooling micro-zones, arloid.ai provides more control of the environment and better user comfort. The technology is gaining ground not just in Europe but across the world with actual savings being achieved over 56 million square feet. This includes real estate and many types of commercial building such as retail premises, hotels, medical centres, warehouses. By reducing energy use the cost savings can counter the effects of energy supply issues, higher prices and inflation. AI should now top the political agenda right across the EU to help member states reach their voluntary gas reduction target of 15%. It’s not as difficult to achieve as it may first seem because new technology can play a huge part for very little outlay. At any rate it’s an obvious and achievable first step towards EU goals and for those countries encouraging dimmed lights and shorter showers there is another way! Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction Industry News
Glodon Gsite, a cloud-based software for construction management and information handling, has been shortlisted for Construction Software of the Year at the London Construction Awards, which will be held on 23 September 2022. The London Construction Awards is part of London Build, the UK’s leading construction and design show. The awards recognise achievements, projects and innovation in the construction industry and feature a wide range of categories for tech companies, contractors, architects, civil engineers, developers and local authorities. “We‘re pleased to be a finalist for Construction Software of the Year”, says Tom Young, Construction Director at MagiCAD Group Ltd. “Regardless of the final outcome of the competition, we consider it recognition for our efforts and the growing position in the market. We look forward to representing our company brand and product at the upcoming event. I am proud of my colleagues’ fantastic work with our clients to develop a product that improves the construction management between site and the office.” Gsite is a flagship construction platform for construction management and information handling in building projects. Gsite users include Operatives, Supervisors, Project managers, Engineers, as well as all other members of the Construction team. Gsite is used in over 30,000 construction projects all over the globe. With a robust mobile application and web browser interface, it enables users to be as mobile as the construction project requires while still being able to work on the same tasks when back at the office. Glodon Gsite is used in over 30,000 construction projects all over the globe. With a powerful mobile application and web browser interface it enables users to be as mobile as the construction project requires while still being able to work on the same tasks when back at the office. Gsite provides a single, easy to use unified construction management platform. It allows you to handle multiple use-cases, tasks, and operations from a single application with integrated instant communication functions.
Legrand has strengthened its data centre solutions offering with the acquisition of Bedford-based infrastructure specialist USystems. Acquiring USystems’ entire portfolio, which includes the world-leading ColdLogik cooling technology, the deal further strengthens Legrand’s position in providing added-value solutions in the growing data centre market. The acquisition will help Legrand expand its presence in the UK data centre market, while also helping to grow USystems’ international business. USystems’ portfolio of cooling solutions and racks help data centres reduce their overall energy bills, subsequently bringing down their carbon footprint. USystems’ efficient technologies allow customers to reach the IT densities required, combined with unprecedented levels of sustainable cooling efficiency. The range of retrofit and new build ColdLogik Rear Door Coolers, for example, provides an efficient and sustainable cooling range from 0.1 to 200kW plus per rack. This is particularly impactful in the growing micro data centre (MDC) market, where USystems has developed its ColdLogik technology to occupy less than one square metre of floor space to fit most edge applications. Pascal Stutz, CEO, Legrand UK & Ireland, said: “The acquisition of USystems enables us to strengthen our position in the fastest growing segments of the data centre sector – HPC (high performance computing) and MDCs; complements our existing offering in the data centre white space market in both the UK and globally; and provides Legrand with additional expertise and capabilities in specialist cooling and energy efficiency technologies. All of which allows us to better serve customers’ needs through value-add, problem solving and an increasingly solutions-based approach to the markets we serve.” Scott Bailey, MD, USystems Ltd, said: “USystems’ ColdLogik technology is in a prime position to support the data centre industry’s move towards a more sustainable, energy efficient future, as well as to meet HPC’s higher cooling requirements easily. Our EDGE range of micro data centres complements Legrand’s existing portfolio and fits with their philosophy of developing a more integrated, solutions-based approach to helping their customers, as opposed to simple product-based deployments. We are excited to join the Legrand Group and to expand the USystems portfolio internationally.” For more information, visit www.legrand.com.
LEADING contract management software provider Sypro is seeking to demystify the usage of NEC contracts within the construction industry through a series of free online drop-in sessions hosted by Dr Stuart Kings. Dr Kings is one of the drafters of NEC4 and co-author of NEC3 and NEC4 Practical Solutions. He holds more than 20 years’ experience within the healthcare and construction sectors, having provided NEC consultancy services on some of the UK’s biggest schemes. The series of online sessions have been designed to give attendees an insight into the NEC contract that is not available anywhere else. They are free to attend and open to clients, contractors and consultants from across the industry and will provide top tips, best practice and answers to the most current questions associated with the NEC engineering and construction contract. Dr Kings said: “The NEC contract itself has been around for three decades, outlining not just purely contractual procedures, but focusing on good project management principles and modern practice. Several iterations have been released over the years, and indeed the move from NEC3 to NEC4 was seen as an ‘evolution, not a revolution’ – building on and improving what was already in place. “NEC covers every procurement exercise around and embodies those principles of good project management, which is why it’s the dominant contract within the construction industry. That being said, making sure project teams are making the most of the contract still requires much understanding and nuance, which is exactly why we’ve set up these sessions to help people across the industry get the most out of NEC4. “Whether it’s running through secondary options and how to use them, how to assess compensation events, or how to successfully close out a project, each session aims to provide attendees with practical knowledge to take away and apply to their own projects.” Each session will have a key area of focus, identifying key terminology and related clauses from the contract, along with discussing any common pitfalls and how to avoid them. They will also conclude with a live question and answer session, allowing attendees to put their specific queries to Dr Kings directly. Sypro’s Contract Manager has a track record of delivering projects across the globe with a combined value of more than £30 billion and has created software solutions developed to help organisations perform better every day. The next session will take place on 7 July at 11am, focusing on new quality amendments in ECC4 and understanding the defects date and the defect correction period. To register for any of the upcoming sessions, please visit https://sypro.co.uk/webinars/.
Johnson Controls, the global leader for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings has announced that it will open an OpenBlue Innovation Centre in its global HQ at One Albert Quay, Cork, Ireland. The OpenBlue Innovation Centre in Cork aims to create a future-ready built environment for both local and global customers and is part of an international network of OpenBlue Innovation Centres working to pioneer new ways to provide smart, healthy and sustainable spaces for customers. “We are very pleased to be launching our OpenBlue Innovation Center in Cork. This centre will be focused on working with our customers to identify solutions for them to hit decarbonisation and renewable energy goals while optimising building performance,” said Tomas Brannemo, vice president and president, Building Solutions EMEALA at Johnson Controls. “This centre will serve as our regional centre of excellence to bring clients to see Johnson Controls’ latest cutting-edge innovations on how to solve for net zero”. Fitted with the most advanced Johnson Controls building technology solutions, the OpenBlue Innovation Centre will be a showcase of the latest and most innovative solutions from the company in a live environment. The research and development grant Johnson Controls received from the Irish government will support engineering activities at the centre, including developing a professional services hub for the Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America region over a two-year period. Johnson Controls’ research and development presence has grown substantially in recent years and it is expected that 18 new research and development roles will be created as a result of the OpenBlue Innovation Center, in addition to 40 roles already in place working on the next generation solutions for Johnson Controls and its customers. Research and development at the OpenBlue Innovation Centre will focus on the global priority to reduce carbon emissions in the building sector. The building sector accounts for nearly 40 percent of global annual CO2 emissions, making it a key focus area in the pursuit of a net zero world. “Our partnership with the Irish government through IDA Ireland shows how governments and industry can drive real change. The financial support will allow us to increase our headcount, which will contribute not only to the local economy, but also to the development of our OpenBlue net zero solutions globally to have a positive impact on climate change,” said Eamonn Hughes, vice president and general manager, Digital Solutions EMEALA at Johnson Controls. Welcoming the investment, IDA Ireland’s Head of Engineering and Green Economy, Eileen Sharpe added: “IDA Ireland is committed to supporting the work of world class companies such as Johnson Controls to utilise the latest developments in AI, Data Analytics and Cloud Architecture to build new technologies to enable a more sustainable world. This is a most welcome investment for Cork and for Ireland and is in line with our strategy aim to develop Ireland as a leading location for Sustainability Engineering solutions.” OpenBlue, Johnson Controls’ suite of connected solutions, is a key enabler changing the face of sustainability for customers today, through smart buildings technologies designed for operational energy efficiency, occupant comfort and sustainability. Cutting-edge solutions such as OpenBlue Net Zero Buildings can help drive significant improvements in energy efficiency and corresponding carbon emissions. The OpenBlue Innovation Centre in Cork will launch on May 12, 2022. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction and Property News
Countries around the world are setting accelerated targets for decarbonization. In the UK, the government’s latest Carbon Budget features plans to reduce emissions by 78% by 2035 – compared to 1990 levels – taking the nation more than three-quarters of the way to reaching net zero by 2050.[1] Moreover, in its ‘Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution’ this administration has highlighted the decarbonization of buildings as a key aspect of its policy towards reaching these targets.[2] Given buildings account for 36% of final energy use, they are a prime target for energy efficiency initiatives and will be a major contributor to climate target attainment.[3] In order to achieve these goals, more attention needs to be paid to the existing commercial and public building stock. In Europe, for instance, roughly 75% of the building stock is energy-inefficient[4]. This means that a large part of the energy consumed is in effect wasted. Renovating existing buildings could reduce the EU’s total energy consumption by 5-6% and lower carbon dioxide emissions by about 5%. Yet, on average, less than 1% of the national building stock is renovated each year. To meet climate and energy objectives, experts state that the current rates of renovation should at least double[5]. To get on track to net-zero carbon building stock by 2050, the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that by 2030, direct building CO2 emissions need to fall by 50 percent and indirect building sector emissions by 60 percent. A recent study[6] from Siemens Financial Services estimates the gap between the existing rate of investment in energy-efficient smart buildings and the accelerated rate which experts are saying needs to be reached to achieve sustainability and climate change targets. This gap is where smart finance can step in to enable the investment that should be made but is not yet happening. To bridge the investment gap, building owners and managers are having to look at changing how their buildings operate, their business models and how they are going to finance the required upgrades. Regarding operational technology, commercial and public buildings are going to have to become smarter to cope with these new demands for decarbonization. Smarter buildings allow flexible working – whether from the perspective of hot-desking, agile changes of use, security and safety, greater efficiency and flexibility or adapting to cope with volatile circumstances. While there is wide consensus around the need to make buildings smarter, all countries and sectors need a way of making that conversion financially sustainable. Yet how can this be done in practice? The starting point is to use smart technology to reduce building energy consumption. This produces hard financial savings that – through smart financing arrangements – can be harnessed to significantly subsidize the energy efficiency renovation of existing buildings. In selected cases, the energy savings might even pay for overall conversion. This can be done at an enterprise level, or in small incremental steps, each of which proves its return on investment. Typical building energy efficiency savings are usually at least 20%[7] (often far higher) representing very substantial operating economies. New models for smart financing Smart financing takes a variety of forms, depending on the business processes that need to be enabled. At the technology component level, financing tools are available to help vendors and distributors add value with cash flow capabilities for their buyers. For larger installations or systems, smart financing arrangements can be flexed and tailored to align costs with the rate of benefit gained from the energy-efficient technology. At the most complex level, Smart-Buildings-as-a-Service provides the financing solution, with future expected savings from energy efficiency being harnessed and used to pay for the capital investment and more. Conclusions Renovation projects to decarbonize buildings by transforming them into smart, energy-efficient environments are falling behind governments’ declared climate goals around the world. Many experts have declared that the annual investment rate should scale by three times or more to reach those declared targets. In order to bridge the gap between current investment rates and the required volumes, smart financing methods are being offered by private sector finance. They all seek to make the conversion to decarbonized, energy-efficient, smart buildings affordable for owners. At the least, these financing tools ease cash flow and align costs to the rate of benefits gained. At the best, smart financing makes the transition to decarbonization budget neutral, by harnessing future savings to pay for current investment. [1] Gov.uk, ‘UK enshrines new target in law to slash emissions by 78%’, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-enshrines-new-target-in-law-to-slash-emissions-by-78-by-2035 [2] Gov.uk, ‘The Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution’, 2021 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-ten-point-plan-for-a-green-industrial-revolution/title#point-7-greener-buildings, 2020 [3] GlobalABC, Status Report 2019 [4] European Commission, In focus: Energy efficiency in buildings, 17 Feb 2020 [5] European Commission, In focus: Energy efficiency in buildings, 17 Feb 2020 [6] Siemens Financial Services, Bridging the Investment Gap: Smart Financing for Decarbonization in Buildings, 2021 https://www.siemens.com/financing-decarbonization-manufacturing [7] IPF Research Programme, Costing Energy Efficiency Improvements in Existing Commercial Buildings, Oct 2017
A new study from Juniper Research has found that the number of buildings globally deploying smart building technologies will reach 115 million in 2026, from 45 million in 2022. This growth of over 150% reflects increasing demand for energy efficiency from businesses and residents alike, as energy costs spike. Juniper Research defines a smart building as a building that uses connectivity to enable economical use of resources, while creating a safe and comfortable environment for the occupants. The new research, Smart Buildings: Key Opportunities, Competitor Leaderboard & Market Forecasts 2022-2026, found that by enabling buildings to monitor and automate common functions, significant efficiency gains can be made, while improving the environment for workers and residents. The report recommends that vendors focus on building analytics platforms for the most value to be driven from deployments. Non-residential Smart Buildings Driving Spend The research found that non-residential smart buildings will account for 90% of smart building spend globally in 2026; at a similar level to 2022. This dominance is due to the larger economies of scale in commercial premises driving this spend, as well as the commercial focus of most smart building technologies. “Smart building platform vendors will understandably focus on non-residential use cases, as these provide a stronger return on investment, but they should not neglect the importance of residential deployments, as environmental concerns intensify,” explained research co-author Dawnetta Grant. Smart Building Sensor Shipments to Accelerate Quickly The research found that the global shipments of sensors used in smart buildings will exceed 1 billion annually in 2026 from 360 million in 2022; representing a growth of 204%. Sensors, when combined with intelligent management platforms, will allow smart buildings to adapt to conditions; matching elements such as lighting, heating and ventilation to live requirements. The report recommends that smart building vendors partner with AI vendors to maximise the benefits of automation, such as reduced energy costs and improved working environments. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction Industry News
The first two episodes of a new podcast have already caught the attention of construction bosses this month, exploring urgent issues around the skills shortages in construction and the best ways to train the new generation. The new ‘Construction Talk’ podcast interviewed Alasdair Reisner, chief executive of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA), for its first episode, taking a hard look at the skills crisis in construction and the impact of the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) Skills Plan to support the recruitment and retention of talent in the industry in 2022. Alasdair Reisner talks on the podcast about how COVID-19 acted as a catalyst for a new collaborative approach to skills issues: “As an industry we’ve never been able to work collectively. But through the CLC, it’s been the first chance to say ‘look, we’re all facing a problem with talent’ – there’s not a single bit of industry saying no, we’ve got all the talent we need. Our whole industry really struggles to recruit the employees we need, to deliver what looks like a pretty good future,” he says. “It’s crazy that, until last year, there wasn’t a single plan for our industry about how we were going to do that. So I was delighted when we did publish the CLC’s Skills Plan. For the first time we’ve got a skills plan that covers the whole industry, including measures around the attractiveness and culture of the industry, the routes into the industry and the skills for the future.” The interview goes on to talk about the new Government-backed Construction Talent Retention Scheme and Talentview Construction which gets young people into apprenticeships, traineeships and entry roles, as well as exploring the huge impact of major infrastructure projects like HS2, creating 20-year careers and cutting-edge skills that can be exported around the world. “2022 is the year of recruitment,” says Alasdair Reisner. “The skills shortages have got worse. We really have to go out there and sell this industry. People won’t just come to us because we want them to – we have to go out there and market the brilliant opportunities that are opening up to everyone.” Episode 2 of Construction Talk tells the story of Nicola Bird, director of groundworks contractors K W Bell Group and founder of AccXel, the UK’s first industry-led education centre and a multimillion-pound facility established to tackle industry skills shortages. Nicola describes how she set out initially to develop an apprenticeship scheme to help safeguard the future of the family business, but then became motivated to pursue a much bigger project, funded by government and her local enterprise partnership, to build AccXel – the aspirational and high-tech construction skills accelerator centre based near the Forest of Dene. Nicola Bird also talks eloquently on the podcast about the importance of digital skills in construction and the expectations of young people curious about the sector. “They expect that technology to be in our industry,” she says. “The only way we are going to start getting people inspired by our industry is by a quicker introduction into digitalisation, and it will make us more efficient in the long run anyway.” The bi-weekly Construction Talk podcast forms part of a new community that Causeway Technologies is creating for its customers and the wider industry, including a monthly newsletter with six question quick-fire interviews with guest contributors, and plans for community events like roundtables, dinners and other networking opportunities later in the year. The podcast is hosted by Peter Haddock, a well-known voice in construction, and is freely available via both iTunes and Spotify. Peter Haddock says: “It’s great to be working with Causeway Technologies on creating a community that can share ideas, experiences and views on key topics impacting the construction sector now and in the future. Our podcast guests share their passion for how we improve skills development and technology integration, showing us how we can do things differently, collaborate properly and embrace change.” The most recent episode of the podcast features Mathew Ayres, group managing director at the Bennie Group, talking on the theme of “Winning the competitive edge with early technology adoption.” To listen to the first three episodes of the Construction Talk podcast, go to: https://www.causeway.com/construction-talk-podcast Causeway Technologies was established in 1999. Headquartered in Buckinghamshire in the United Kingdom, it serves over 2,500 customers and has over 350 employees. Causeway provides enterprise and cloud software solutions to the construction and infrastructure maintenance industries and spans the full value and supply chain. www.causeway.com
