The UK needs to learn how to build more efficiently, cost-effectively, and sustainably. And we need to do this while delivering greater flexibly in design and programme timing. These realities are changing the face of construction faster than many realize.
Meeting construction challenges while the traditional skilled workforce continues to shrink calls for radical innovation. In future, creating attractive and high performing structures for housing, education and healthcare will have more in common with advanced manufacturing processes than with traditional noisy, dusty and risk-prone construction sites.
The revolution is already underway. Offsite construction using Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) has proved its worth across a wide variety of projects of all sizes. It’s also clear that offsite has much more to offer. To gain even further benefits through the technology we need to integrate different skills, techniques and expertise into the construction sector, as envisaged in the Farmer Report.
So it’s with pride, pleasure and anticipation that Innovaré can announce that our application for funding through the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) was recently approved by Innovate UK.
This part government-funded programme encourages collaboration between businesses and universities in the United Kingdom. We’re also really excited that the partnership is with the highly regarded WMG, University of Warwick. The department has earned an impressive reputation for expertise in advanced manufacturing, automation and innovation.
The partnership will deliver a project that aims to: ‘develop new agile manufacturing techniques to manage volatility, variation and complexity of offsite construction. Combining recent innovations in Building Information Management (BIM) and digital simulation with flexible automation and assembly processes to deliver bespoke, high-quality components for Innovaré’s System.’
Through the university we will recruit an associate to deliver the project. They will have access to all the university’s resources and considerable expertise. The project fits perfectly with our philosophy of managing the complex aspects of construction projects through a highly controlled design and manufacturing process, while making every operation that needs to be performed on site as quick and simple as possible.
This collaboration is part of the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) initiative funded by Innovate UK. Knowledge Transfer Partnerships is a UK-wide programme that has been helping businesses for the past 40 years to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills that reside within the UK Knowledge Base.
A Knowledge Transfer Partnership serves to meet a core strategic need and to identify innovative solutions to help the business grow. KTP often delivers significant increased profitability for business partners as a direct result of the partnership through improved quality and operations, increased sales and access to new markets.
For further information visit http://KTP.innovateuk.org
Alongside this announcement we are looking to employ a Project Engineer for Digital Manufacturing Innovation, if you think this could be the role for you, find out more here: https://innovareoffsite.co.uk/2017/02/08/405/
