Innovate UK has up to £72m to invest in establishing a core innovation hub to support cooperation between industry and academia and transform the construction sector
The funding is for UK-based research and technology organisations that already have existing facilities and expertise to work with others in the construction sector, such as businesses, the research base or public sector organisations.
This competition aims to fund a single, core innovation hub that will develop and commercialise new digital and manufacturing technologies for construction. The hub should focus on how to:
- Create better performing built assets;
- Increase the industry-wide adoption of emerging digital and manufacturing technologies;
- Design new processes to improve productivity in construction.
To be successful in their application, the research and technology organisation will need to demonstrate there is a commitment from the private sector to invest and use the hub once it is complete.
The transforming construction challenge aims to support the construction industry to adopt the latest digital manufacturing technologies to produce safe, healthy, efficient building.
This will help buildings to be constructed 50% faster, 33% cheaper and with half the lifetime carbon emissions.
It is the part of government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, which brings together world-leading research with businesses to take on the major societal and economic challenges of our time.
The competition is now open, and the deadline for applications is at midday on 23 May 2018, the projects should start in August 2018 and last up to 4 years. A briefing event will be held on 28 March 2018 and consortia-building event on 19 April 2018.
