Insights from BUILDOFFSITE’s Final Event of the Year

The festive atmosphere at 8 Fitzroy Street set the stage for serious discussions as BUILDOFFSITE members gathered to mark the end of the year and celebrate the organisation’s 20th anniversary. This final event of 2024 brought together leading voices in construction innovation, including keynote speaker Stephen Wightman, UK MMC Lead at AtkinsRéalis, who ignited thought-provoking dialogue about the future of construction through offsite manufacturing.

The event also provided the perfect platform to celebrate the winners of the BOS Innovation Hub Challenge 2024, with awards presented in person to Bio SIP and Abode Industries for their contributions to the industry.

Setting the Stage for Change: A Hard-Hitting Keynote

Stephen Wightman’s keynote highlighted the pressing need for change in the construction sector, delivering a mix of sobering statistics and promising solutions:

• 🚧 Fatalities & Inequalities: Only 3% of site-based construction workers are female, and 45 fatalities occurred in the sector last year, accounting for 31% of all workplace deaths.
• 💰 Costly Errors: Avoidable mistakes led to £21 billion in losses.
• 📉 Business Risks: In 2022, 4,163 construction companies declared insolvency.
• 🧱 Workforce Shortages: An estimated 217,000 skilled workers are needed to meet demand.
• 🗑️ Environmental Impact: The industry generates 136 million tonnes of waste annually.

Wightman underscored offsite construction as a critical solution, with the potential to deliver sustainable, low-carbon, and affordable housing while reducing waste and improving safety. He challenged the industry with a pivotal question: What needs to change?

Untapped Opportunities: Expanding Offsite Construction

The event shed light on how offsite manufacturing is already driving progress in key sectors:

• 🏥 Healthcare: Rapid deployment of healthcare facilities remains a vast, underutilised opportunity.
• 🏗️ Infrastructure & Transportation: Successful projects demonstrate immense benefits in efficiency and sustainability.
• 🌱 Decarbonisation & Retrofit: The greatest opportunity lies here. With looming targets such as rentable office compliance by 2030, action in this space is both urgent and necessary.

Arup, a leader in offsite innovation, showcased their commitment to modular and prefabrication methods. Sam Hopkins reflected on a legacy of innovation, dating back to their involvement in the 1944 Government Prefabrication Committee, and highlighted their role in shaping the future of sustainable design.

Recognising Innovation: BOS Innovation Hub Challenge 2024

A key moment in the event was the in-person presentation of the BOS Innovation Hub Challenge 2024 awards. Congratulations to Bio SIP and Abode Industries, whose solutions exemplify the ingenuity and forward-thinking approaches needed to drive the industry forward.

The Mandate for Modernisation

With government support and an increasing mandate for modernisation, offsite construction offers an unparalleled opportunity for transformation. Data presented during the event reinforced the business case: offsite businesses are statistically less likely to fail than traditional construction firms. Yet, this compelling narrative remains under-acknowledged.

A Call to Action

Discussions at BUILDOFFSITE’s final event of the year underscored the urgency of transformation within the construction industry. Key takeaways included:

1. Redefining Safety and Equality: Address gender imbalances and improve site safety.
2. Prioritising Sustainability: Focus on decarbonisation and waste reduction across all projects.
3. Expanding Offsite Expertise: Increase adoption in sectors such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
4. Celebrating Innovation: Shine a spotlight on success stories in modular construction to inspire industry-wide adoption.

As the event concluded, attendees reflected on the dual nature of the challenges ahead—daunting yet brimming with opportunity. The collaborative spirit among members offers hope for meaningful progress in shaping a safer, more sustainable built environment.

BUILDOFFSITE’s final event was not only a celebration of two decades of innovation but also a call to action for continued collaboration and bold decision-making. With momentum building, the future of offsite construction in 2024 and beyond looks promising.

Presentations shared during this event can be viewed here: BOS members’ Christmas meeting and 20th anniversary celebration | Buildoffsite

Fareita Udoh