- Government announces new joint government-industry sector deal worth £420m to transform construction through innovative technologies to increase productivity and build new homes and infrastructure quicker with less disruption
- ‘Bytes and mortar’ revolution to use digital design and offsite manufacturing to transform building construction
- Landmark deal will boost the delivery of the Government’s ambition to deliver 1.5 million new homes by 2022
- Deal will support Clean Growth Grand Challenge mission to halve the energy use of new builds by 2030, helping families reduce their utility bills
An ambitious new partnership between the Government and the construction industry will see £420m ploughed into transforming the sector through the adoption of innovative technologies.
Business and Energy Secretary, Greg Clark, revealed the plans in a recent speech to the Northern Powerhouse Summit in Newcastle.
With almost half of the economy reliant on the built environment and the services it enables, the Government is bringing together the construction, manufacturing, energy, and digital sectors to deliver innovative approaches that improve productivity in construction and accelerate a shift to building safer, healthier and more-affordable places to live and learn that use less energy.
We are an industry that must be at the forefront of the UK’s drive for future growth and prosperity – and I’m confident that this deal will help to achieve that
Clark said: “The construction industry is fundamental to growing our economy as we build to invest in our future.
“Major infrastructure projects mean that we need a construction sector that can drive innovation, delivering homes and infrastructure quicker.”
He added: “As buildings account for around 30% of total emissions, we want to ensure we are at the global forefront in designing and building smart, energy-efficient and affordable homes and buildings through the Clean Growth Grand Challenge, saving families money on their bills.
“This Sector Deal is supported by the biggest government investment in construction for at least a decade and will drive economic growth and create well-paid highly-skilled jobs in every part of the UK.”
Andrew Wolstenholme, co-chairman of the Construction Leadership Council, added: “Securing this deal sends out a statement about the vital contribution our sector makes to the country.
“Our industry builds the schools to educate the young, the hospitals to care of the sick, the police stations to keep us safe, the roads and railways that get us to work, the power stations that keep us warm, and the homes we return to each day.
“We are an industry that must be at the forefront of the UK’s drive for future growth and prosperity – and I’m confident that this deal will help to achieve that.”
And International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox, said: “British firms are at the forefront of innovation in the construction and infrastructure sector and the Government’s new Sector Deal will ensure that even more of our businesses have the confidence to do business in overseas countries.
Major infrastructure projects mean that we need a construction sector that can drive innovation, delivering homes and infrastructure quicker
“With the global infrastructure market estimated to be worth $57trillion by 2030; the opportunities are clearly there for our companies. That is why the Department for International Trade and its partners will work to identify these opportunities and provide advice to overseas businesses who may want to invest in the UK.”
The Construction Sector Deal will deliver:
- £420m investment in ‘bytes and mortar smart construction’. The investment will transform construction through the use of digital building design, new manufacturing technologies, and offsite manufacturing; helping cut the time taken to deliver new-build facilities by 50%
- Cheaper energy bills for families and businesses: This supports the Industrial Strategy mission to halve the energy use of new builds by 2030
- 25,000 construction apprenticeship starts and 1,000 Construction T Level placements by 2020 to help give young people the skills that industry needs – with £34m to scale up innovative training models across the country
- Improved global access to a $2.5 trillion export market – a globally-competitive sector targeting the growing international infrastructure market that is set to grow by 70% in the years ahead