The construction industry must “align with the innovators and nurture them”, according to Turner & Townsend.
In its summer report, the consultancy reviews both the financial and wider impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the industry, and it states: "The best ideas don’t always come from the top and innovation needs to be nurtured across all levels of the industry.
"Thinking and working in a digital environment gives clients and their suppliers real-time access to a rich stream of data about every aspect of a project and programme, enabling them to make intelligence-led decisions at all stages of the construction lifecycle.
"Such game-changing technology is already driving greater productivity, boosting certainty and delivering better outcomes."
Turner & Townsend notes that the "turbocharging of the digital revolution is one of the few positives to emerge from the pandemic, and the industry should capitalise on these gains by upping the pace further".
The report suggests that clients and contractors should invest in SMEs and lower tiers of the supply chain and perhaps incentivise and reward them in a similar way to accepted HR and line management practices.
The report also highlights the importance of off-site construction techniques. The report states: "Not only does off-site make complying with social distancing rules easier, but used strategically, it can deliver better quality projects more quickly, safely and more effectively than conventional, wholly on-site construction."
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