Transforming Construction Alliance
Note: The Transforming Construction Alliance has now become the Construction Innovation Hub.
On 30 November 2018, BRE welcomed Business & Industry Minister Richard Harrington MP’s announcement of £72 million Government funding for the Transforming Construction Alliance (TCA) to deliver a national Core Innovation Hub (CIH). The funding followed a nationwide competition as part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.
Formed to drive innovation and technological advances in the UK construction and infrastructure sectors, the TCA brings together the specialist expertise of BRE, MTC (Manufacturing Technology Centre) and the CDBB (Centre for Digital Built Britain).
The TCA has received broad support from the construction sector and will help deliver the safer, healthier and energy efficient buildings that the UK needs. It aims to be a catalyst for transforming the UK construction sector through manufacturing technologies and digital ways of working – boosting productivity, exports and asset performance to benefit society.
The alliance aims to deliver a national Core Innovation Hub (CIH) that will support collaboration across sectors to develop, commercialise and promote digital and manufacturing technologies for the construction sector, offering an opportunity for everyone with an interest in construction to become involved.
Niall Trafford CEO at BRE said:
“We are delighted to welcome Richard Harrington MP to BRE, Watford, to announce this hugely significant initiative that aims to drive innovation and technological advances and to bring transformative change to the sector. BRE has been leading built environment innovation for almost 100 years and this alliance will enable us to remain at the heart of construction industry advances, for the benefit of all.
“We will also play a significant role in industry engagement and the deployment of demonstrators at the BRE site in Watford and BRE’s expertise in the testing and validation of new products, processes, data and assets, will fully support the move to digitising construction for a more efficient and productive industry.”
Richard Harrington MP said; “We have the opportunity to revolutionise construction in the UK and the Core Innovation Hub will help us build smarter, greener and more efficient buildings much faster and cheaper than we do now. From the introduction of virtual reality to off-site manufacturing, our modern Industrial Strategy, is helping the UK construction sector to develop new techniques and skills – modernising the sector and delivering the homes and buildings our nation needs.”
Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury Robert Jenrick said; "Our manufacturing industry is vital to the UK, contributing billions to the economy every year. This new fund will see it partner with our construction and digital sectors to revolutionise the way we develop crucial infrastructure. It will enable us to build in more efficient and cost-effective ways, boost productivity and ensure we are fit for the future."
You can find out more at: https://transformingconstruction.org.uk/
In January 2019, Innovate UK announced that the Core Innovation Hub would:
| ...develop and establish a better model for building than currently exists. This model will facilitate innovation and continuous improvement in the built environment in ways not seen anywhere in the world today by enabling integration of the value chain. The aim is to efficiently produce buildings that fully reflect the needs of their users. To do this we will draw upon advances in data systems and other technologies. |
They also suggested that it might see the inception of a new era of architecture in which; "...responding to user needs the approach will align with the process of Darwinian adaptation more than any previous architectural style."
In 2019, the Transforming Construction Alliance became the Construction Innovation Hub, and a new Industry Board was created to ensure key industry decision makers and leaders help to shape its programme of work.
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