Dame Judith Hackitt announced as keynote speaker at the construction leaders' summit 'The Digital Future'

13-14th October 2020, 9:30-13.00

• Dame Judith Hackitt, Government Advisor, will deliver a keynote speech on forthcoming sector regulation and directly address the Draft Building Safety Bill
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Business and Industry) Nadhim Zahawi MP will discuss construction and political change
• McKinsey and BDO to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the sector and how businesses can prepare for the ‘new normal' in construction

On 13-14th October 2020, NBS, the platform for connected construction information, will once again bring policymakers, industry experts and decision-makers in construction, architecture and digital transformation together for The Construction Leaders’ Summit - The Digital Future. The event, which is free to attend, will explore the future of construction and the changes that lie ahead.

The double-whammy of a pandemic and a recession has made 2020 one of the most challenging and disrupted years in living memory. But the bright spot, in an otherwise battered economy, is construction, which forms a major part of the UK government’s “Build Back Better” campaign. In July, Britain’s construction industry grew at its fastest rate in almost five years, as business picked up after the coronavirus-related shutdown.

However, existing challenges persist as the sector re-establishes itself, stymying progress, particularly digital adoption, or lack of.

While COVID-19 has quickened the pace of technological uptake and integration in a host of industries, UK construction still lags behind the curve. A move to digital transformation, driven by legislation and a new focus on safety, will become key priorities in a post-pandemic world if the industry wants to keep up pace with the changed business landscape.

‘The Construction Leaders’ Summit - The Digital Future’ is an exclusive two-day summit covering the advantages of standardisation and look at the benefits and challenges of digital transformation. Attendees will leave with practical steps, enabling them to face the future with confidence.

A host of high profile speakers are on the agenda including:

• Dame Judith Hackitt, Government Advisor, who will directly address the Draft Building Safety Bill, looking at forthcoming regulation impacting the sector and give an update on any progress and changes to the document.
• Nadhim Zahawi MP, the UK Government’s Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Business and Industry), will also talk about construction and political change and how it will influence future policy.

Day one will focus on the drivers for change, before moving into sessions looking at how this change will happen. The second day will be split into two streams – one for specifiers and the other for manufacturer- both looking at the future of the industry.

Construction product manufacturers will learn about the rapid evolution of manufacturing and construction following COVID-19 from management consultancy firms BDO and Mckinsey. Additionally, Peter Caplehorn and Adam Turk from The Construction Products Association will discuss the emerging competencies for product safety and the marketing rules for manufacturers.

Specifiers will hear from the Sustainable Energy Association’s Jade Lewis on driving sustainability through design and data, Yale University School of Architecture’s Phil Bernstein on ‘Delivering the Future of Design and Collaboration’, and a leading contractor who will reveal the future of modular construction.

Richard Waterhouse, Chief Strategy Officer, NBS, says, “There’s no doubt COVID-19 pandemic has quickened the pace of digital adoption. Currently, the construction industry lags behind the technological curve and large pockets of the sector are playing catch-up. While there are many players taking full advantage of the benefits of digital, there’s still some way to go.

“We wanted to curate an event which brings together the latest thinking and brightest and best minds to look at the construction ecosystem and the opportunities technology offers to build a better world. The Construction Leaders’ Summit: The Construction Leaders’ Summit – The Digital Future will provide attendees with inspiration and practical guidance to equip them for the future.”

Location and attending

Click here to register for the online event https://www.thenbs.com/events/CLS2020. The Construction Leaders’ Summit ‘The Digital Future’ will be held 13-14 October 2020, 9:00-13.00. Places are limited, book now to secure your place.

(For journalists wishing to attend, please contact The Think Tank at the address below).

Archit Chopra or Rhena Bunwaree at The Think Tank, 0207 831 2225. Email rhenab@thinktank.org.uk, architc@thinktank.org.uk