Digital technologies and processes are now more common in every area of life. The construction industry has traditionally been slower to adopt new approaches, but attitudes appear to be changing.
We recently worked with a market research specialist to help obtain a picture of digitalisation in the UK construction industry.
The research collected information from senior individuals within businesses of all sizes, both in construction and civil engineering. The aim was to understand where the industry stands, the factors that are driving progress and what is holding it back. Importantly, it also looked at how these trends are impacting the industry’s push to achieve net zero carbon targets.
Sustainability goals are central
The research findings highlight how central sustainability goals are to businesses in the construction industry, with 97% of respondents agreeing that it is important to measure the carbon footprint of the organisation. Similarly, 95% stated they believe the business would be negatively impacted if it fails to meet its goals, with ‘customers moving away from the brand’ being the concern of almost half (48%).
Driving factors of sustainability
In addition, the research looked at the factors, besides government legislation, that are driving change with regard to sustainability. The factors ranked as most important were found to be ‘cost savings’ (55%), ‘attracting new employees’ (50%) and ‘client perception’ (43%). Interestingly, ‘commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility’ and ‘waste reduction’ were identified as key factors by a smaller number – 38% and 33% respectively.
Digital innovations are key
Another key finding of the research is that construction businesses see digital tools and innovations as key to decarbonisation. In fact, 96% of respondents said they believe their organisation would benefit from using digital tools to assist with its decarbonisation efforts, particularly regarding measurement and benchmarking.
Get your copy of "Beyond the Basics – How UK Construction is Using Digital Solutions to Achieve Efficiency, Integration, and Sustainability”
To explore the full research findings and read the commentary from our panel of industry experts, download the full report.
