Drivers, challenges and approaches to innovation in the construction sector

Overview

The need to mitigate carbon emissions led to the Climate Change Act in 2008 and the unprecedented challenge of 80% carbon reduction for the UK Built Environment by 2050. Reducing the carbon impact of existing buildings has a potential cost of £500bn by that date, involving the retrofit of around 27m homes. This will require a systems approach including new financial and business models, new technologies, scale-up of skills and supply, and a collaborative approach to product and service development.

The lecture will use this challenge to illustrate how new methods of innovation are being developed to address the need for cross-domain collaboration. Examples will be drawn from various organisations including Arup, which has demonstrated a knowledge management and innovation methodology linking foresight with practice via research.

Agenda:

5.15pm Arrival

5.30pm Lecture ‘Drivers, Challenges and Approaches to Innovation in the Construction Sector’, Mill Lane Lecture Room 9

Keynote address: Prof. Jeremy Watson, Chief Scientific Advisor of the Department for Communities and Local Government and Global Research Director of Arup

7.00pm Reception in the Old Library, Darwin College

To register, please click here: www.dar.cam.ac.uk/connections

This lecture has been organised in association with the Darwin College Green Committee, the Centre for Science and Policy, and 4CMR.