otherwise be impossible in silos. By linking together businesses, university experts, the public sector and the economic development networks, its industry-led team supports a culture of innovation that drives transformational change across the construction industry. The centre’s work revolves around creating new products, business models and services, collaborating with industry to fi nd solutions to key challenges, giving industry access to advanced equipment at its world-class Innovation Factory, and connecting and engaging networks through a rich events and educational programme.


Innovation is the new norm COVID-19 has certainly been a driver of rapid change. Over the past few months we’ve formed new habits, altered how we interact and socialise, and adapted how we work and lead businesses. Many of us have had to embrace change at a pace measured in days and weeks, rather than the years and decades it normally takes to alter behaviours. This pandemic has shown us that creativity and innovation are essential to build future resilience. Yet in a sector like construction, where business investment in R&D lags behind other countries and sectors, innovation has been taking place every day right under our noses (think off site manufacturing, digital technologies, low carbon retrofi t). This is a chance to mainstream


innovation, to buy into a new future and not simply go back to old ways.


What does innovation look like? CSIC works across industry with businesses of all sizes and across the full supply chain. As we’ve seen in recent times, companies big and small have had to implement new technologies and new processes. As a sector that touches on all areas of life, there are compelling social and economic reasons for investing in change. CSIC’s innovation support is focused on four main areas:


● Building sustainably With construction in the UK accounting for approximately 60% of material use and generating almost 50% of carbon emissions, nearly 80% of which are from


Digital twin buildings are transforming the way electrical work is carried out


buildings in use, then transforming the built environment and how we design and deliver it must be a key focus. Decarbonisation is a major challenge but also a major opportunity for the sector and its supply chain. By 2050, 80% of the UK’s housing stock will already exist so there is a major opportunity for the decarbonisation of the existing built environment as well as ensuring new homes are carbon neutral. An example of CSIC’s work in this area is a current project with The Halo Regeneration Company to create the fi rst town centre net zero carbon energy project in Kilmarnock, a ‘Community Urban Village’ setting the standard for low carbon energy sites and smart homes across the UK. CSIC has also led on many other


key sustainability projects such as the development of the K-Briq – the world’s fi rst recycled brick made from 90% recycled materials – and supporting work on ‘Passivhaus’ standards that can be used to provide high quality sustainable housing at competitive cost levels.


● Accelerating industrialisation The move to off site and industrialised construction is improving effi ciencies and quality across the industry. CSIC is a partner in a major UK Government- funded project alongside Barratt Group,


Continued on page 28 >>> CABLEtalk AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 27


SCOTLAND’S CONSTRUCTION INNOVATION FACTORY


CSIC’s state-of-the-art Innovation Factory is home to a wide range of product development, manufacturing, robotics and visualisation equipment. It can be accessed by companies in the sector or used together in collaborative R&D projects led by the CSIC technical team. Taking inspiration and learnings from


other automated industries, equipment in the 35,000 sq ft facility includes the UK’s only vacuum press for the production of cross laminate timber, robotics, virtual and augmented reality equipment, an insulation line, an off site manufacturing line and various other enabling equipment and digital tools.


Industry can access state-of- the-art equipment at CSIC’s 35,000 sq ft Innovation Factory


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