The Infrastructure Podcast

In today's podcast we're going to explore the UK government's latest announcement to invest vast sums of public cash in the nuclear industry.The latest spending review included £14.2bn to kickstart the Sizewell C plant and £2.5bn to underpin ongoing research into fusion technology. But crucially, it also outlined plans to pump £2.5bn into Small Modular Reactor development – something that I think is perhaps one of the most ambitious – and transformational announcements in the UK's energy history.And it's this announcement that I really want to focus on today.But it is also clear that after decades of hesitation, the UK government – through it's public energy business Great British Nuclear part of GB Energy - has committed to a bold new era of nuclear power, And its backing it with public cash. So what does this actually mean in practice? What is an SMR – and why is the government betting on them to power millions of homes and secure the nation's energy future? How do these small, factory-built reactors compare to the large-scale nuclear power plants like Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C? And critically – can we really deliver this bold vision on time, on budget, and with the skilled workforce we need?Well to unpack all of this – and help make sense of the opportunities and challenges ahead – I'm joined once again on the Infrastructure Podcast by Tim Stone, Non-Executive Director, Great British Nuclear and former chair of the Nuclear Industry Association, the body at the heart of this once-in-a-generation transformation and my go to mind for all things nuclear.ResourcesGovernment press release on SMRsRolls Royce SMR press release Government press release on Sizewell CGreat British Energy - NuclearNuclear Industry Association release on nuclear investment 

Today's podcast is another special episode, this week recorded live in New York at the recent Transforming Infrastructure Performance Summit hosted by Bentley Systems.My guest is Aruna Miller, Lieutenant Governor of Maryland State, who I interviewed to open the summit with a discussion on her role in the recovery and rebuild of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge which catastrophically collapsed in March 2024 after the container ship Dhali collided with a pier while passing beneath.In a matter of seconds, this vital transportation artery crumbled into the River, claiming the lives of six workers and bringing Baltimore's economy to a standstill. The collapse was a pivotal event with profound implications for Maryland State, raising many questions about the value of our infrastructure and the economic and social consequences of failure.And as a civil engineer turned politician, the Lieutenant Governor clearly has a unique perspective on the challenge of recovering and rebuilding after this disaster.I started by taking her back to the 26 March 2024 to talk us through the immediate response to the collapse. ResourcesTransforming Infrastructure Performance Summit New YorkThe Francis Scott Key Bridge rebuildMaryland State infrastructure priorities US Federal Government FSK Bridge response Bentley Systems Infrastructure Policy AdvancementLieutenant Governor Aruna MillerICE FSK question and answer

Today's podcast is a special episode recorded live at Bauma 2025 in Munich—the global showcase for construction technology innovation.My guest today is Ivan Di Federico, the newly appointed President and CEO of Topcon Positioning Systems, a leader in geo-positioning and construction technology, with solutions that are being used everywhere in infrastructure and agriculture today.Ivan steps into this role at a pivotal moment. Digital transformation is accelerating across both infrastructure and agriculture, driven by automation, AI, and advanced positioning technologiesSo how does a business like Topcon stay ahead of the curve - and the competition? What does the future of Topcon look like through Ivan's eyes? In this episode, Ivan shares how the company is navigating today's challenges and preparing for what's next.ResourcesTopcon WebsiteHistory of Topcon Positioning Infrastructure techAgriculture techTopcon technologyMillimeter GPSTopcon sustainability

In this week's podcast  we talk about the challenges of building a career in the complex modern world of structural engineering.My guest today is Claire Gott, Head of Structures at global consultancy WSP - an engineer whose work has helped shape some of the most ambitious and high-profile structures in the UK and beyond but who has also devoted large parts of her career to date helping and encouraging others to join and navigate the profession. I first met Claire back in 2011 when, just out of Southampton University, she won the New Civil Engineer Graduate of the Year Award. She was hugely impressive then, and she continues to be today in a senior leadership role at WSP that puts her at the heart of designing many of the buildings and infrastructure that define our cities and communities.Major projects such as 40 Leadenhall, a landmark commercial tower in the City of London that's redefining how we think about wellbeing, heritage reuse and sustainability; the visionary Eden Project North in Morecambe, a regenerative design project pushing boundaries on biodiversity, embodied carbon and community engagement; London Bridge Station refurbishment, Paddington Square and of course a rake of structures on the London the Birmingham HS2 project.And I imagine that she will be turning her hand to the newly approved 1 Undershaft, and it's clear her influence spans some of the UK's most complex and high-profile developments.But as we will explore, Claire's impact extends far beyond the drawing board. A powerful advocate for diversity in engineering, she is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, a mentor with the Circle Partnership, and a visible role model for women in STEM. And she remains hugely active in Cameroon Catalyst, the charity she co-founded at university focused on sustainable development in rural Africa.So how do you build such a rounded and complex career like this? Overcoming the technical and cultural challenges to lead projects that build not just for performance, but great places for people and the planet. ResourcesClaire Gott Linked InWSP websiteCameroon CatalystCreating the LEGO Bridge: A Civil Engineering ChallengeICE Connects40 LeadenhallEden North

In today's podcast we look at the world of nuclear decommissioningNuclear power has played a vital role in the UK's energy story for more than half a century. But as the country transitions toward a low-carbon future, there's another story unfolding—one of responsibility, innovation, and transformation. The story of the decommissioning.At the heart of this story is the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, tasked with one of the largest, most complex environmental remediation missions in Europe, and responsible for safely, securely, and efficiently decommissioning the UK's civil nuclear legacy. This means dealing with decades-old infrastructure, hazardous materials, and a technical challenge that spans generations. But it's not just about dismantling what's old—it's about building the systems, skills, and strategies needed to do it better, faster, and more sustainably.Today, the NDA is in the midst of a major transformation programme. From digital innovation and smarter asset management to a cultural shift that embraces agility, collaboration, and change, the NDA is rethinking what it means to manage nuclear legacy sites in the 21st century. To find out how this strategy is being turned into reality, I am joined on the podcast today by Stuart Miller, Programme Director at NDA who will help us to explore the opportunities and obstacles on the road ahead. What does decommissioning look like in an era of digital transformation? How do you drive change in a complex, risk-averse environment? And what does this work mean - not just for the UK today, but for future generations and global best practice?In short, it's an opportunity to shed light on one of the most important, yet often overlooked, national missions of our time.ResourcesNuclear Decommissioning Authority WebsiteNDA priorities and policiesStuart Miller Linked InSellafield business plans

In today's podcast we focus on the UK's mammoth, unprecedented, and, often, highly controversial water investment challenge.As climate pressures mount, population grows, and economic demands increase, the security of our water supply is becoming a defining issue for national resilience. Last December, Ofwat's latest Price Review - PR24 – underscored the scale of that challenge, with more than £48 billion in capital investment planned across England and Wales over the next five years. At the heart of this effort is the need to secure an additional 5 billion litres of water per day by 2050 - equivalent to more than a third of the current supply.This is a national endeavour. The RAPID programme, launched by Ofwat in 2019 to oversee water company spending and prompt more collaborative approach to investment, is now being scaled up to deliver a new generation of strategic water infrastructure in AMP9 – the water companies' latest five year Asset Management Plans. This means new reservoirs, water recycling, large-scale transfers and desalination schemes - many of which will define how and where the UK secures its water future. But meeting these goals will require not just infrastructure, but public trust, regulatory innovation, and cross-sector collaboration. All issue that of course are being reviewed for government right now by Sir Jon Cunliffe, Chair of the Independent Water Commission.My guest today is at the sharp end of this challenge. Siân Thomas is Director of Strategic Asset Management at Anglian Water, one of the biggest and perhaps most progressive water companies, serving over 7 million customers across the East of EnglandSiân is delivering Anglian's AMP8 business plan - the largest in its history, including two new reservoirs, significant upgrades to water recycling and mains networks, and a commitment to cut emissions and improve river health. So well placed to give great insight into the challenges.Siân welcome to the Infrastructure PodcastResourcesOfwat's PR24 determinationThe RAPID programmeAnglian Water's AMP8 plansUtility Week article - "Big projects lured me back into water" (behnid paywall)Sir Jon Cunliffe review

In today's podcast we focus on decarbonising the UK's vast building stock.The global buildings sector is one of the most essential but also perhaps the most overlooked frontiers in the fight against climate change. Homes, offices, shops, schools, and factories - they're where we live, where we work, and where we gather. They are the fabric of our society. But, as highlighted by a new report from the Energy Transitions Commission, they are also responsible for a staggering one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions – that's around 12.3 gigatonnes of CO₂ in 2022 alone. And for context, that's more than the emissions from transport or from industry.These emissions come not just from heating and cooling, but also from lighting, cooking, appliances, and even the materials and methods we use to build in the first place. And as the global population grows and more people gain access to energy-intensive services like air conditioning, the challenge is only getting more urgent.The good news is that we already have the solutions. In its powerful new report Achieving Zero-Carbon Buildings: Electric, Efficient and Flexible, the Energy Transitions Commission sets out a clear roadmap for transforming the sector - arguing that we can cut emissions while also improving quality of life and reducing energy bills – but only if we act quickly and ambitiously.So what needs to happen? How do we turn strategy into action?Today, we're joined by a Lord Adair Turner, Chair of the Energy Transitions Commission to unpack the findings of this important report, explore what's possible, and understand the path toward a zero-carbon buildings future.ResourcesEnergy Transitions Commission websiteETC report "Achieving Zero-Carbon Buildings: Electric, Efficient and Flexible"Lord Turner of EcchinswellCOP 30UK government plan for net zeroRetrofit 25 "what's stopping us?" - The Building Centre

In today's podcast we delve into the world of Artificial Intelligence to explore the future of infrastructure and technology - and the people reshaping both. To do this we're diving into one of the biggest - and most urgent - challenges facing the built environment: namely how we manage and maintain our ageing infrastructure in a world of rising costs, growing risks, and tightening resources.Across the UK and beyond, roads, bridges, railways and public assets are showing their age. Traditional methods of inspection and maintenance are expensive, reactive, and often too slow to really move the dial and catch up decades of under-investment. But there's a quiet revolution underway - powered by artificial intelligence - that's potentially changing how we understand and care for the structures we rely on every day.And my guest today is someone right at the heart of that transformation.Tom Bartley is Director of Civil Infrastructure at AI scale-up Mind Foundry and brings a deep understanding of both the engineering and the technology worlds. With past roles at WSP and Jacobs - and as co-founder of Barbal and dotBuiltEnvironment, he's spent his career championing digital transformation across planning, design, and delivery.Now at Mind Foundry - a company born out of Oxford University research - he's working to deploy responsible AI that helps asset owners predict risk, extend the life of critical infrastructure, and make better decisions, faster. So let's find out and explore how AI is being used on projects like HS2, ask what's holding the sector back from adopting innovation, and see if Tom can convince us why human-AI collaboration - not replacement - is the key to building smarter, safer systems.ResourcesMind Foundry websiteTom Bartley Linked InAI for Civil EngineersMajor Projects Association - "AI is the solution - what's the question?"

In today's podcast we focus on hydrogen – zero carbon fuel of the future or an exercise in wishful thinking?That said, as the UK sharpens its focus on delivering a net zero future, hydrogen is increasingly taking centre stage in the national energy conversation. Touted as one of the cleanest and most versatile fuels available, hydrogen holds significant promise for decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors such as heavy industry, construction, and long-haul transport. It also offers a route to greater energy resilience and system flexibility – two critical ingredients in the UK's evolving low-carbon economy.But while the direction of travel is clear, the path to delivery is far from smooth. Despite a government ambition to scale hydrogen production to 10GW by 2030 – with at least half from green electrolytic hydrogen – progress has been slow. Today, only a fraction of this capacity has reached final investment decision, and fewer still are under construction.However, the recent announcement of 27 shortlisted projects in the government's second Hydrogen Allocation Round (HAR2) has been welcomed as a step forward in terms of putting in place the subsidies that might secure future production business models. But, and there are always many buts… major questions still remain about how this fuel production might be scaled.Can we develop the infrastructure, market frameworks, and demand signals needed to unlock investment? And crucially, where does hydrogen genuinely add value – rather than simply an expensive distraction on route to zero carbon?Well to find out, I'm joined today by Brett Ryan, Head of Policy and Analysis at Hydrogen UK, the industry's leading trade body in the sector. He is the ideal person to chat through the commercial and policy challenges that are shaping the market, the opportunities that hydrogen presents for UK industry and innovation, and what needs to happen now to convert ambition into action. ResourcesHydrogen UK websiteBrett Ryan Linked InUK Government HAR2 announcement National Infrastructure Commission: Needs Assessment tech annex on hydrogenHydrogen UK - the hydrogen story

In today's podcast we focus on the global infrastructure market and find out what the UK might do to accelerate its ambitions to drive economic growth from infrastructure investment.My guest today is Jake Mumm, General Manager for Public Infrastructure at global construction design and delivery business Bechtel - someone who has spent the last three decades at the coal face of some of the most challenging projects around the world.As Jake knows I'm sure, Governments worldwide face mounting infrastructure challenges as populations grow, urbanisation accelerates, and climate change intensifies. Ageing transport networks, outdated water systems, and insufficient digital infrastructure hinder economic growth and quality of life. And pretty much all of them have similar challenges - funding shortfalls, bureaucratic delays, and political uncertainty – which too often delay or cancel critical projects. Yet the need for resilient, sustainable solutions is greater than ever, with extreme weather events exposing vulnerabilities in existing infrastructure. As such, the transition to smart cities, green energy, and efficient public transport is high on the agenda and requires strategic investment, cross-sector collaboration, and innovative financing models.Addressing these challenges is crucial to ensuring that infrastructure that meets society's evolving needs. And so often it falls to businesses like Bechtel to steer a path to success.So let's find out how.Resources Jake Mumm Linked InBechtel InfrastructureRiyadh MetroElizabeth Line LondonCalifornia High Speed Rail

In today's podcast we takes a close look at the evolution and future challenges of tall building design with engineering design mega star Kamran Moazami.Kamran is WSP's managing director for property and buildings and with nearly half a century of design experience under his belt – most recently on projects such as The Shard, 22 Bishopsgate, and One Blackfriars, he is certainly the man to ask!It is clear that around the world, the skyline is evolving at an unprecedented pace, with ever-taller, more ambitious buildings redefining the way we live and work. From London to New York, Dubai to Shanghai, the race to build higher is driven by increasing urbanisation, the need for sustainable development, and cutting-edge advancements in engineering and materials science.But designing and delivering these megastructures is no easy feat. Every tall building presents a unique set of challenges—from wind resistance and structural stability to fire safety, vertical transportation, and carbon efficiency. The growing urgency around climate resilience also means engineers are now pushing boundaries to create greener, smarter, and more adaptive high-rises.And as we are seeing post-earthquake in Myanmar and Bangkok, but also following the tragic 2017 Grenfell fire in London, maintaining public confidence in high rise is an increasingly challenging business.Few understand these complexities better than Kamran – so let's find out more.ResourcesWSP Property and Buildings websiteThe Shard22 BishopsgateKamran Moazami interview in the Structural Engineer 2015Post Grenfell fire Hackett Report

Today's podcast is another special episode recorded live in front of an audience for the second of the latest Twin Talks interview series hosted by Bentley Systems.As with the first TwinTalk event with construction minister Sarah Jones MP, today's episode heads to Parliament for a conversation with Lee Pitcher, MP for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme, chair of the all Party Parliamentary Group on Water, and, up until the General Election in July, an engineering consultant with decades of experience in the water sector.Today's episode focuses on the creation of so-called Sponge Cities and specifically gets Lee's thoughts on the findings of a new White Paper produced by Bentley Systems and water consultancy Aqua Consultants. This paper presents a rake of new thinking to tackle the growing and urgent problem of urban, pluvial flooding caused as our drainage systems become overwhelmed by increasingly intense rainfall and more frequent extreme weather events.As we see on the news every year, flooding is not a new problem. But unlike river flooding, pluvial floods can strike anywhere, causing significant damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure.And as the new Creating Sponge Cities to Tackle Surface Water Flooding white paper points out, urbanisation, outdated drainage systems, and climate change are compounding the issueBut solutions are at hand in the form of Sponge Cities – embracing sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), green infrastructure solutions and a range of new strategies to create cities designed to absorb, store, and manage water more effectively.But of course, despite the obvious economic and social costs of inaction, we still seem to be struggle to embrace change. The question is why. How can we influence and shape the policy landscape, and embrace the collaborative role of planners, engineers, policymakers, and industry leaders to shaping the future of sustainable water management?Lee is a great person to ask – so I started by finding out why another report might help prompt the required change?ResourcesCreating Sponge Cities to Tackle Surface Water Flooding white paperBentley Systems Infrastructure Policy AdvancementLee Pitcher MP contactAll Party Parliamentary Group on WaterThe Independent Water Commission, chaired by Sir Jon CunliffeCunliffe Review call for evidence

In today's podcast takes a close inspection of the UK's ever-deteriorating local roads condition. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the ALARM survey – the Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance survey – which for three decades has been the crucial benchmark for assessing the state of local roads across England and Wales. Commissioned by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA), the report was published last week and provides an invaluable snapshot of road conditions, funding levels, and the growing maintenance backlog across the UK's local roads network.And once again the 2025 findings, based on real feedback from real local authorities, paint a stark picture: local roads remain in decline, with 34,600 miles in poor condition and the cost to clear the repair backlog reaching an all-time high of £16.81 billion. And while of course some might argue that “they would say that wouldn't they!” the reality is that, despite the UK government's pledge to fix one million potholes per year, we are still very far short of the long-term, sustained investment needed to tackle deep-rooted structural issues.Because local roads are a vital economic asset - valued at over £400 billion.  And just 1% of this value is allocated for annual maintenance. A shockingly poor stat given how much we all rely on these assets. So what to do? Well my guest today might know! David Giles is Chair of the Asphalt Industry Alliance and a director of Continental Bitumen UK – someone who is ideally placed to explore the key findings, the barriers to progress, and of course, the actions needed to ensure a safer, more resilient local road network for the future.His latest report calls for a radical shift in approach: multi-year funding, ring-fenced investment, and a long-term commitment to repairs – something similar perhaps to the current approach to the strategic road network. So is that possible? Well let's find out.ResourcesAIA Alarm Survey 2025AIA websiteColas websiteDavid Giles Linked InGovernment pothole repair pledgeGovernment statement on local road conditions National Highways RIS2

In today's podcast we return to the vitally important, hugely complicated and normally highly emotive subject of planning reform.And help is (potentially) at hand in the form of the long awaited Planning and Infrastructure Bill which was published last week and heralded by government as providing “transformative reforms to get Britain building, tackle blockers and unleash billions in economic growth”.So who better to bring back to the Infrastructure Podcast to explain and chew over this potential new dawn of planning than Robbie Owen, infrastructure planning guru and Partner at law firm Pinsent Masons.The UK's planning system has long been a battleground between the need for economic growth and the challenges of bureaucracy, local opposition, and environmental concerns. As the government pushes forward with ambitious targets—building 1.5 million homes, upgrading transport networks, and accelerating clean energy projects—the speed at which infrastructure is planned and delivered has never been more critical.Yet, delays remain a persistent problem. As we know, major projects can take years to navigate the approvals process, with judicial reviews and lengthy consultations slowing progress. The proposed legislation includes changes to infrastructure planning, environmental impact assessments, and compulsory purchase powers  … and, as discussed on the podcast before Christmas, limits on the role of Judicial Reviews.But will these changes truly unlock growth, or are deeper structural issues being overlooked? And how can the planning system ensure that infrastructure projects not only proceed faster but also deliver better outcomes for communities and the environment? ResourcesThe Planning and Infrastructure BillThe Banner ReviewNational Infrastructure Planning AssociationNational Infrastructure CommissionPinsent MasonsAbout NISTAPodcast with Robbie Owen and the Hansard Society on Parliament's planning role.Episode 93 of The Infrastructure Podcast with Robbie Owen on the Banner Review

In today's podcast we take a deep dive into embodied carbon and try to get a better understanding of why infrastructure professionals need to make its assessment more than just a nice add on but a fundamental part of the design process.The construction and infrastructure sectors are undergoing a major transformation as the industry seeks to reduce its carbon footprint and meet global net-zero targets. While operational carbon—emissions from heating, cooling, and electricity use—has traditionally been the focus of sustainability efforts, embodied carbon - emissions that are locked in at the point of construction and cannot be reduced over time - is now taking centre stage. To discuss this issue, my guest today is Adrian Campbell, founder of the Change Building consultancy and someone that I like to describe as an industry sustainability guru and my go-to expert when it comes to reducing carbon across the infrastructure lifecycle.  Full disclosure; I have known Adrian since we studied Civil Engineering together at the University of Southampton back in the 1980s. Well, he did the studying as I remember! Adrian has made a return to the University of Southampton as a tutor and lecturer and as Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor in Sustainable Development and Climate Impact He  has just produced a new guide to help students get to grips with assessing embodied carbon - a rapidly developing area of professional competence which should provide the skills and judgment to help improve designs and help move us towards the goal of net zero carbon.For students entering the fields of architecture, engineering, and construction, embracing embodied carbon assessment is no longer optional—it is a vital skill for shaping a sustainable built environment. As Adrian puts it, having an awareness of the reasons for its adoption (the ‘why') and some experience of assessment (the ‘how') is now expected as part of the role of the engineer.However, this presents challenges: data inconsistencies, limited industry knowledge, and balancing carbon reductions with performance and cost make it a complex area to navigate. So let's find out why students should engage with embodied carbon thinking early in their careers.ResourcesAdrian Campbell Linked in Southampton University Embodied Carbon guideChange Building websiteUniversity of Southampton websitePositive Collective Royal Academy of Engineering Institution of Structural Engineers - how to calculate embodied carbon

Today we head back to the vitally important issue of housing and attempt to understand the UK's complex, and some might say, largely dysfunctional housing retrofit market.It is a market that is rapidly evolving, driven by ambitious government policies, rising energy costs, and increasing public demand for sustainable, lower cost living. But with a housing stock that is among the oldest in Europe, the UK faces significant headwinds to meet this challenge. But my guest today has embraced this challenge whole heartedly and two years ago quit a successful career with global consultancy McKinsey and Co to strike out on her own. Anna Moore formed Hestia, now rebranded as Domna, as a brand-new business to transform our approach to domestic retrofit and, at the same time, lever in large amounts of much needed private sector investment.It's a tough market. Because, as Anna knows I am sure, while the government's commitment to building 1.5 million new homes continues to grab the headlines as the key to driving up living standards and revitalising communities, the need to retrofit our huge existing stock has been left something of an overlooked, Cinderella sector.Yes, recent initiatives, such as the Future Homes Standard and the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund – now renamed the Warm Homes Grant, have boosted the focus on retrofitting to enhance energy efficiency, lower emissions, and reduce fuel poverty. And the market is seeing growing interest in innovations like heat pumps, solar panels, insulation upgrades, and smart energy systems. However, the sector faces hurdles, including supply chain constraints, skilled labour shortages, and the challenge of balancing affordability with high-quality retrofits.That said Anna has just secured a £70M cash injection into the business which she hopes will open up a £500bn opportunity that will help the business to play a critical role in creating healthier, more efficient homes for residents. So, let's find out how. ResourcesAbout Domna GroupInsights from Donna Group on retrofittingDomna post on £70 financing dealBuilding Centre New Homes in New Ways ExhibitionAnna Moore Linked In

In today's episode we dive into the UK's deepening housing crisis– specifically looking at affordable housing where demand is still far outstripping supply. Despite ambitious government targets to deliver 1.5 million new homes over the next five years, the reality is that we are still only seeing 50,000 to 60,000 affordable homes being built each year - far short of the estimated 145,000 required. The shortfall leaves over 1.3 million households on waiting lists, while rising costs, planning delays, and economic uncertainty continue to challenge the sector.My guest today is Anette Simpson the director of development and partnerships at Legal & General Affordable Homes where she is responsible for overseeing the delivery of some 3,000 affordable homes annually. Legal & General Affordable Homes (LGAH) was founded in 2018 to bring institutional investment into affordable housing, leveraging private sector funding to help bridge the gap. The business has ambition and Anette's target is to have more than 10,000 homes under management this year. It aims to prove that, alongside the tradition public sector social housing providers, for-profit providers can play a crucial role in tackling the crisis. As such their approach combines long-term investment with cutting-edge technology, ensuring both sustainability and high-quality service for residents.However, the sector still faces significant barriers. Planning inefficiencies, limited government funding, and the financial pressures on housing associations are slowing progress. Meanwhile, challenges such as building safety upgrades, decarbonisation targets, and interest rate hikes are forcing traditional providers to scale back development. And to attract further private investment, the industry needs greater stability, a more efficient planning system, and well-resourced local authority partners.So let's hear more as we explore LGAH's role in shaping the future of affordable housing in the UK.ResourcesLegal & General Affordable HomesThe Legal & General Affordable Housing FundPlanning overhaul to build 1.5M new homesGovernment affordable home ownership schemesLabour - Get Britain Building

In today's podcast we explore the role that academia and research can and must play in transforming infrastructure into the modern, joined up, innovative sector needed to deliver a sustainable future for communities.My guest is Jeni Giambona, Associate Dean of Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise at the University of Southampton Business School, where she is also a Professor and a Member of the Centre for Resilient Socio-Technical Systems. More on that later. But full alumni disclosure – it is 30 years since I started my own undergrad course in Civil Engineering at Southampton University – fond if distant memories even if I'm not sure anyone there really remembers my particular academic contribution!Operating at a slight higher academic level, Jeni has worked in the higher education world and been involved at the sharp end of research for around two decades and specialises in Knowledge exchange and dissemination, engagement and systems thinking.It is fair to say that driving and investing in innovation remains key to boosting the infrastructure sector's productivity and the outcomes - setting up projects and our approach to the delivery of asset management in new and better ways.That means embracing a systems approach; really doubling down on the need for collaboration and supply chain engagement; and of course investing in new data and digital technologies to help us to truly understand how infrastructure works.All of which is firmly on Jeni's research and teaching agenda at Southampton as she attempts to infect the sector with her passion and enthusiasm for change and pursuit of better outcomes – let's hear more. ResourcesUniversity of Southampton Business SchoolSystems Thinking and Leadership Development Executive EducationLeaders and Entrepreneurs-in-Residence programmeNew Forest Business PartnershipUK Higher Education and Transnational Education MissionThe Newfoundland breed

In today's episode we head back into the corridors of power to talk to Mike Reader Member of Parliament for Northampton South and chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Infrastructure.And after my recent conversation with Sarah Jones MP, minister of state for Business and net zero it will be interesting to contrast this government view of the nation's infrastructure ambition with one from Parliament's back benches.Certainly, there is no question that this government has infrastructure investment firmly in its sights when it comes to delivering on its ultimate mission for economic growth. We hear about no end of plans for refocusing on and accelerating delivery of nationally significant infrastructure projects such as Heathrow third runway, Lower Thames Crossing, energy transition and distribution, new reservoirs and of course most recently a £3.6bn injection into the UK's flood defences.But, as we also know, local infrastructure improvements are what really turns voters heads – be they improved bus services, tackling potholes, improving schools and hospitals or, indeed, providing new homes. And of course we also know that local infrastructure impacts, be they pylons on the skyline or rail tracks through the pastures, can and do have a major impact of deliverability. Navigating this difficult route from infrastructure aspiration to reality so often falls on the desks of an army of back bench MPs representing the myriad of interests – for and against proposals - within communities across the UK. So let's talk to one of them.Resources Mike Reader MP websiteAll Party Parliamentary Committee on Infrastructure Energy Security and Net Zero CommitteeGovernment Industrial Strategy in the UK paperBold reforms to planning systemsConstruction Leadership CouncilRachel Reeves speech - January 2025Transforming Infrastructure Performance

In today special 100th episode we shift to the heart of the UK government to hear first-hand from Construction Minister Sarah Jones MP about how she intends to embrace and accelerate infrastructure investment as a means to deliver the government's overarching mission for economic growth.The podcast was recorded live in front of an invited audience of professionals at last week's Twin Talks breakfast meeting hosted by Bentley Systems – just before the Chancellor Rachel Reeves set out her plans to cut through the planning and environmental blockers and accelerate a rake of nationally significant infrastructure projects such as the much discussed Heathrow third runway, East West Rail and the Oxford Cambridge Arc, Lower Thames Crossing, a raft of new reservoirs and a splurge of national wealth fund cash to underpin electric vehicle charging.As I discussed in last week's podcast with Skanska UK boss Katy Dowding, infrastructure is truly back in fashion and at the heart of the Labour government's increasingly desperate search for growth.So a great moment to chat to Sarah Jones, who was appointed as Minister of State at both the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and the Department for Business and Trade, last July, having been elected as the MP for Croydon West in June 2017. Her busy, cross-department role brings up an interesting mix of responsibilities, all of which, of course, have major implications for the construction and infrastructure sectors as the government attempts to balance public sector ambitions for economic growth, higher living standards and better environment outcomes with the reality of constrained public finances and the need to truly engage private sector investment and innovation. We have truly got interesting, challenging and exciting times ahead. I started by finding out a bit more about her plans for delivery…ResourcesGovernment Industrial Strategy in the UK paperBold reforms to planing systemsConstruction Leadership CouncilSarah Jones MP websiteRachel Reeves speech - January 2025Transforming Infrastructure Performance

Today's podcast is episode 99 and we are going to talk about the challenge of modern contracting. There is no doubt that we are in a world where infrastructure investment is well and truly back in fashion. That's true whether we are transforming our energy future, racing to meet a net zero goals, improving lives and community, protecting the environment, solving the housing crisis or indeed, supporting the government's lofty ambitions for an AI driven, world leading growth agenda,Yes, we hear it all the time: infrastructure investment is key to boosting growth. Yet the question still remains: how do we actually create this new world? The answer of course is contractors - the skills, the ingenuity, and innovation, passion and resource of a pretty unique bunch of folk who, rain or shine, get out there and make it happen. My guest today knows all about the pressures and delights of contracting. Katy Dowding is president and CEO of Skanska UK, one of the UK's leading and most innovative contractors and the UK division of Skanska AB, the £13bn revenue global business based in Sweden.Katy has been with Skanska for a large part of her 30 year career in the industry and has ridden the rollercoaster of boom and bust, feast and famine that has too often characterised the sector throughout that time.So where are we now? Are we moving away from the low margin dog eat dog world? Have we arrived at the new low carbon era of collaboration, quality driven value led outcomes? And critically, are we creating an industry in which the brightest and the best actually now want to work and a sector that is set up to transform the world around us and create the kind of built and natural environment that really will change lives?Let's find out.ResourcesSkanska UK websiteConstruction Leadership CouncilNational Infrastructure Commission Infrastructure and Projects Authority Wates Corporate Governance PrinciplesBartlett School of Sustainable ConstructionConstruction Youth Trust

In today's podcast we go Stateside to catch up on what is happening in the US as the global super power prepares for the latest iteration of the Donald Trump Presidency and as Los Angeles struggles to contain and recover from catastrophic wild fires.My guest today is Steve Burrows, ICE Representative for the West Coast of the USA. Steve is based in San Francisco and, after a global career in engineering working for Arup, then Aecom and WSP on projects including the Birdsnest Olympic Stadium in Beijing and Apple's headquarters in California, is now an independent consultant helping infrastructure clients to deliver better outcomes from their investments.So after 40 years in the region, If anyone has his finger on the West Coast pulse it's Steve!Well the Trump presidency is certainly a massive moment for the US and a massive moment for the rest of the world – huge consequences geopolitically and huge impacts economically if Trump follows through on his election promises.And huge impacts for infrastructure professionals as the administration switches track from renewables and net zero ambition back to the drill baby drill oil and gas centric policies of the past.Meanwhile of course the very real impact of global climate change has arrived in Los Angeles which is still battling what is certainly one of the worst natural disasters to have hit the city in its history. So far 25 people have been killed with many more still missing and tens of thousands of properties destroyed as fires rage across the parched dry tinder box driven my unprecedented high winds.It is truly a scene of tragedy on a massive scale.From an infrastructure perspective both events raise huge questions for the US – not least in a country that has massively underfunded and under maintained is infrastructure assets and that had world leading ambitions for low carbon development..So make no mistake there are big challenge ahead as professionals attempt to steer the path toward safe, productive and resilient infrastructure. So how are they coping. Let's find out.ResourcesICE North AmericaCalFire LA wire fires updateThe White HouseACSE infrastructure report cardGenuine Intelligence Podcast Steve Burrows Linked InB2BURROWS

In today's podcast we try to understand how the infrastructure investment we have planned across the UK can actually be turned into better sustainable outcomes for communities. To tackle this hugely important issue, my guest today is Professor Jim Hall, the 160th President of the Institution of Civil Engineers, professor of climate and environmental risks at the University of Oxford and commissioner for the soon to be wound down – or is it on - National Infrastructure Commission.Now, in his inaugural speech to the ICE, Jim rightly pointed out that the infrastructure civil engineers provide is central to sustainable development. Yet, he added that, around the world governments continually struggle to provide those much-needed infrastructure services.The question is why, and, of course, how can infrastructure professions start to really move the dial when it comes to ensuring that, for all the investment and enthusiasm, we are getting the right sustainable outcomes – the social economic and environmental outcomes from infrastructure systems we already have in place and from the new ones that are slated to be built as part of the on-going global drive towards economic and social growth.Make no mistake, there are some huge opportunities ahead – but there are also huge challenges. Not least in a world increasingly led by climate change sceptics and vested corporate interests.Well let's find out what more the profession can do by chatting to an internationally recognised expert in strategic infrastructure planning. ResourcesICE presidential address 2024National Infrastructure CommissionNational Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority NISTANIC Needs Assessment 2Infrastructure and Projects Authority

We are back for 2025 and in today's podcast we will I hope, start the new year by catching a glimpse of the art of the possible when it comes to embracing the use of data, technology and digital tools to drive improvement across the infrastructure sector.As such it is my pleasure to sit down today with Nicholas Cumins, chief executive of global infrastructure software giant Bentley Systems. Nicholas stepped into the hot seat six months ago when former ceo, founder and driving mind for the business Greg Bentley moved up to chair the now public company, ending three decades of family control. So no pressure there then!Nicholas set out his stall for the direction of the business during his keynote address to the 2024 Bentley Systems Year in Infrastructure event held last October in Vancouver. This annual event gathers infrastructure's top minds to share information and inspiration, find out what's new in the digital design, construction and operation world and, or course, to celebrate success with a bunch of now highly coveted awards. These kind of global events demonstrate clearly how governments around the world are banking on infrastructure investment to drove economies but also that the future of our built environment depends on doing more with less and on achieving better economic and social outcomes for communities. And as Nicholas pointed out in Vancouver, that means creating new, sustainable solutions that will both protect our natural environment and meet global target for cutting carbon emissions. But it also means finding new and better ways to manage and maintain the vast amount of vital infrastructure that already exists.Digitalisation, data and the power of AI and data analysis tools are key to helping professionals to make better decisions and creating better outcomes for the societies that rely on it. And it's fair to say that software companies like Bentley are developing extraordinary tools to power this transformation. So let's hear what's new and what's around the corner.ResourcesBentley Systems iLabThe Digital Twin HubBentley Systems Year in Infrastructure 2024YII 2024 KeynotesCesium 3D TilesGoogle partnershipUnreal Engine

Today's podcast is the second of a two-part year end special recorded with Sir John Armitt out-going chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission and all round voice of experience and knowledge when it comes go planning and delivering the UK's infrastructure needs.And its the last episode of 2025!In the last episode we covered a lot of ground talking about NISTA, the all new National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, the challenges of turning policy into delivery, reforming UK planning and how the government might create the vital clear and consistent policy to drive forward vital investment needed for infrastructure projects that will boost economic growth and transform lives and communities across the UK.If you haven't done so already, I heartily recommend you have a listen.  Check out episode 94In part 2 we will build on these themes and talk a bit more about driving down costs and improving outcomes from investment, about delivering more for the public and about ensuring private sector investors and the supply can really engage with the government's plans.But first we have a catch up about the National Infrastructure Commission, what it has achieved since 2015 and where it is heading. Enjoy the episodeResourcesNational Infrastructure CommissionInfrastructure and Projects AuthorityNational Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority NISTANIC Needs Assessment 2NIC letter to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 10 year strategyBanner Review into NSIP judicial reviewsPlanning and Infrastructure Bill

Today's podcast is a bit special in that it is the first of a two-part, year-end special recorded with infrastructure giant Sir John Armitt. To be fair, this podcast really needs very little in the way of set up from me, other than to say that Sir John is long standing chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission, past president of the Institution of Civil Engineers and, to most inside and outside of the engineering and infrastructure sector, the genuine expert voice of experience, calm and common sense when it comes to the built environment.And I imagine that if you are listening to this podcast you will be acutely aware that, having served on the commission since it was formed in 2015 and been chairman since 2018, John is stepping down from the role in the Spring next year as the organisation joins with the Infrastructure and Projects Authority to form NISTA, the all new National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority. This will be charged with taking the strategic planning and delivery of the nation's infrastructure to new levels, driving forward the new and eagerly awaited 10-year National Infrastructure Strategy, and boosting the efficiency and outcomes from the vast amounts of public and private investment being slated to underpin the government's ambitious growth agenda for this Parliament and beyond.Make no mistake, there is no shortage of ambition for infrastructure – the question, as always, is how to deliver. But if anyone knows it's Sir John, so let's hear from himResourcesNational Infrastructure CommissionInfrastructure and Projects AuthorityNational Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority NISTANIC Needs Assessment 2NIC letter to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 10 year strategyBanner Review into NSIP judicial reviewsPlanning and Infrastructure Bill

In today's podcast we take a deep dive into planning and how look specifically at how the recent Banner Review might accelerate the delivery of the UK's NSIPs - Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects.Reform is certainly overdue. Nick Smallwood, out-going chief executive of the government's Infrastructure and Projects Authority highlighted the UK's poor track record of infrastructure delivery at the recent TIP Live Summit in London. There he pulled no punches and said: “We take far too long to deliver infrastructure planning. It typically takes as long to get through the planning regime as it does to deliver an asset. That's simply not acceptable. We need to do far better.”So how can we do better? Well, we have the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill coming down the tracks and reform of the entire planning process is clearly on the government's agenda with the Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner laying out big plans for radical reform with virtually her first strike of the pen. But reform of the approach to planning around NSIPs has been on the cards for some time. As such, the Banner Review was commissioned by the last government at the start of 2024 under then-Secretary of State Michael Gove - and has seen Lord Charles Banner KC examine and propose improvements to the planning and approval process.It is fair to say that the issue is coming to a head. Banner published his recommendations on 28th October, providing a number of routes to improving the system, addressing challenges such as delays, legal challenges, and increasing costs, particularly delay caused by the judicial review process that impacts large infrastructure projects​.So as we now close in on the end a nine week call for evidence which closes on 30 December it is a great moment to find out about the key issues by welcoming Robbie Owen to the podcast today. Robbie is a partner and head of Infrastructure Planning and Government Affairs at Pinsent Masons and certainly one of – if not THE leading expert in the field.ResourcesThe Banner ReviewThe Planning and Infrastructure BillNational Infrastructure Planning AssociationNational Infrastructure CommissionPinsent MasonsAbout NISTA

As the latest COP29 global climate change conference draws to a close in Baku, this podcast focuses on how the infrastructure sector can summon the courage to transform its approach to sustainability and ensure that the issue moves from niche to become business as usual in the mainstream at every level of the supply chain. It's a potentially exciting time in infrastructure. The government's £40bn infrastructure investment plan to get Britain Building is certainly ambitious and challenges all government departments, local authorities and the private sector to focus and prioritise around community and business need. But the scale of what is required also means securing a genuine transformation in the way the industry plans, designs, constructs and operates new and existing infrastructure, so as to maximise the social, economic and environmental outcomes achieved – reducing carbon, reducing cost and creating better results for communities.But how?Well my guest in this episode is Hannah Pathak, international managing director at Forum for the Future and a long-standing champion for driving collaborative action across business to help accelerate this kind of required change in some of biggest challenges facing the globe today. At Forum for the Future, Hannah works across a multitude of global sectors to help businesses understand and then achieve more sustainable business outcomes, using futures scenarios to understand the risks and opportunities and systems change practices to help navigate a route through the complex challenges.I met Hannah recently at the FM Conway Collaborative Sustainability supply chain event where she gave a keynote address to describe the ideas contained in the Forum's recent report The Future of Sustainability: Courage to Transform and where she challenged to audience to have the bravery to act.Her words and ideas were certainly inspiring and very challenging – and I thought needed to be shared more widely. So let's hear more!ResourcesForum for Future websiteClimate and Health CoalitionFuture of Sustainability - Courage to TransformFM Conway Sustainability strategyFM Conway Collaborative Sustainability eventHM Government Budget 2025 to rebuild Britain

In today's podcast we talk about how modern engineering consultancy really can change lives by creating sustainable infrastructure that focuses relentlessly on delivering creative, value-led solutions for the benefit of people, places and planet.I am deliberately quoting from the values page of engineering design firm Buro Happold in honour of the fact that my guest today is Paula Gough, the newly installed UK Development Director for Infrastructure responsible for bringing, as she puts it, “some exciting new thinking into the UK infrastructure market”.It is quite a challenge. Given the scale of infrastructure ambition set out by the Chancellor in last month's budget and the unbelievably tight financial, social and environmental constraints that come with this ambition for growth, we will need every ounce of new thinking to make it all stack up.But of course, Buro Happold is synonymous for innovative thinking around difficult problems from the moment the extraordinarily gifted engineer Ted Happold left his successful career at Arup in 1976. Legend has it that he headed to the University of Bath to became professor of Architecture and Engineering Design and then found Buro Happold after Arup refused to allow him to start an office in Bath.The firm remains the forward thinking, design and people focused business today. Famous for tackling some the globe's trickiest engineering projects and for doing so with a focus and attention on driving the absolute best community, environmental and economic outcomesWhich is why Paula's new role caught my attention. I first interviewed a very young and ambitious Paula Farshim - as she was then - for NCE back in 2007 when she was just starting her glittering career as Hyder Consulting's graduate of the year. She was certainly bent on creating change back then.So a few decades on and with this new role, how can she help a firm like Buro Happold drill deep into this world of infrastructure to rethink our approach and deliver those vital creative solutions to our global challengesWell let's find out ResourcesBuro Happold websiteSATRO - about the charityThe Budget - Nov 2024NCE interview - a glittering career (behind paywall)Being a DE&I and Fairness Inclusion and Respect (FIR) Ambassador

It's a powerful episode this week as we talk about housing and in particular what can be done to accelerate construction of the vital homes that are needed to support our society across the UK.Now the need for housing – in particular affordable housing - has become one of THE most pressing social issues of our time. The current New Homes in New Ways project being hosted at the Building Centre in London makes that point abundantly clear – too many people are still living in temporary or substandard accommodation and it's something that, for a developed nation like the UK, is simply unacceptable.Yet despite widespread acknowledgment of the problem, progress towards change has been slow, and systemic barriers continue to stall meaningful solutions. The Government's new target of building 1.5 million new homes in the next five years is ambitious and welcome, but it still raises fundamental questions about feasibility, funding, and strategic planning.So what to do? My guest today is Jez Sweetland, founder of the Housing Festival think-tank and a passionate advocate for changing the way we deliver housing in the UK. As he pointed out very powerfully in his opening address to the launch of the New Homes in New Ways, the fact that one in nine children is homeless in the London Borough of Newham is something that should cause us an industry and as a society to bow our heads with shame.Because building affordable homes is doable – YES it requires financial resources and land and YES, it needs innovative thinking, new materials, new techniques and effective collaboration across the huge number of stakeholders that make housing possible. But all of this is available and possible – so why is it so difficult - let's hear more. ResourcesHousing FestivalBuilding Centre New Homes in New Ways ExhibitionJez Sweetland Launch Speech for New Homes in New WaysPlaybook - Social Rent Housing at Pace - The MMC PlaybookHope Rise – Innovation In PracticeRegister Interest for Summit On Wednesday 12th and Thursday 13th February we will host a two-day summit, bringing together local authorities, housing commissioners and the MMC housing supply ecosystem, to mobilise the delivery of social rent homes on small sites. Tickets available soon! 

Today's podcast is a bit special - and I have to say it was a bit nerve-racking - as we talk about the challenges, barriers and opportunities for women in leadership with executive coach and strategy consultant Alex Oliver who – full disclosure – is also my wife.Alex works with a range of people – women and men - across a multitude of sectors helping all these leaders to, as she puts it, “unleash your potential, power your growth and open up a fulfilling and purposeful life”. It is powerful and really important stuff. Understanding what it takes to be a good and effective leader in business is not something that necessarily comes naturally and almost certainly improves with training and personal awareness. To be honest, I have been looking for an excuse to interview Alex on the podcast for a while so the launch last week of She Leads, her new women's leadership programme seemed a fantastic opportunity to peer around the door of her office – not least as it coincided with the Association of Consultancy and Engineering's own Female Leadership conference this week.A recent Major Projects Association report on wellbeing highlighted the critical leadership challenges facing the modern infrastructure sector which traditionally has relied on a command and control, top down leadership styles. The reality is that boosting and promoting new, more empathetic leadership skills is an issue which the infrastructure sector is only really just starting to cotton onto.But for women in particular, the challenges of leadership are acute, stemming from the continuing lack of gender diversity in the sector, exacerbated by traditional leadership cultures, and underpinned by a failure to appreciate a rake of specific blockers and barriers faced by women in infrastructure.In short, for a sector which needs every ounce of talent, this failure to support and develop the next generation of female leaders remains a glaring missed opportunity.So what to do? Well let's find out and get some advice from the expert. ResourcesShe LeadsAlex Oliver Consulting websiteACE - Engineering Futures: Removing the Barriers to Female LeadershipICE Connect - Women in Fellowship

A week after Labour's first budget in 14 years - its "big" budget - we talk on the podcast about how the UK turns all the infrastructure aspiration announced into the kind of life, economy and climate changing reality that is implied – perhaps promised.Yes, infrastructure investment plays a key role in driving economic growth across the nation and across the regions of the UK – and according to Chancellor Rachel Reeves, the budget's £40bn budget spend will add some 1.4% to the economy – discuss! But only if these plans can be first turned into projects that actually succeed in creating the outcomes promised and demanded.So infrastructure professionals simply have to get the delivery right. The economic pressures facing the nation, the social need in terms of housing, jobs and living standards, the absolute need to prioritise global net zero targets and a resilient future mean we cannot afford to get it wrong.That means starting with an end in mind and then putting in place the steps that lead towards success - in the short term delivering to time and budget; in the longer term creating and maintaining the nation's infrastructure to set us up for a sustainable future. Easy to say but harder to deliver. So what can actually be done to put in place the kind of steps required to plan our infrastructure, access the financing and then deliver to expectation? Well my guest to today is Hannah Vickers, Global Head of Advisory at construction and consulting giant Mace. In this role, as I understand it, Hannah is responsible for the creating the strategies, business cases and practical insights that increase delivery confidence, enhance productivity and create value for Mace's clients and investors - so I reckon she should be well placed to help shed some light on this conundrum. ResourcesThe Budget - October 2024Mace website Mace ConsultCLC websiteProject 13Construction PlaybookPAS 2080 - carbon managementCLC CO2nstruct Zero 8th Quarterly Performance Framework

In today's podcast we talk about the very latest digital twin visualisation technologies and find about a bit more about how and why these new immersive tools are truly set to transform the way we design construct, operate and maintain our infrastructure. At the heart of today's discussion will be infrastructure software developer Bentley Systems' new iLab experience which gives hands-on experience with real-time digital twins and features the latest advances in project visualization to bring models to life literally in front of your eyes. I was given a glimpse of this impressive tool recently by my guest today Greg Demchak, Vice President for Emerging Technologies at Bentley Systems at the Year in Infrastructure event in Vancouver where the latest iteration of the iLab experience was being rolled out to the press and to industry professionals.It is quite something! The iLab is an experience which provides users with an immersive infrastructure experience that is capable of both educating and explaining infrastructure while also helping professionals to get hands on with a real-time digital twin visualization. This allows users to not only enter and experience designs in their real world settings but also provides a range of tools AI enhanced tools to explore options, make changes and visualise the impact of their decision making in real time.To be quite honest, seeing is believing! It is quite an extraordinary experience and one which, I hope, the words in this conversation with Greg today will do justice to. Let's find out!ResourcesBentley Systems iLabThe Digital Twin HubBentley Systems Year in Infrastructure 2024YII 2024 KeynotesCesium 3D TilesGoogle partnershipUnreal Engine

Today's special episode is recorded live in Jamie Oliver's new restaurant in Covent Garden London as we return to the tricky, but absolutely crucial issue of skills and the need to lever more of the best talent from schools into the infrastructure, construction and building sector. Now, anyone who has ever attended an industry conference recently and, I dare I say it, anyone that's ever listened to an industry podcaster lately, will be very aware that the deficit of skills in this sector is presenting a real risk to the ability to deliver our ambition for accelerating investment in the industry and boosting growth and improving the living standards across the UK. And add to that, the reality that technology is set to transform the way we work, underlines the reality that we have to change to make sure that the brightest minds really do good into the sector. It's a huge challenge. And so who better to talk to than Alison Watson, president of the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors, and founder of the Class of Your Own initiative, which, as we heard in Episode Six, way back in March 2023 is a program that is successfully embedding its Design Engineer Construct agenda into the school curriculum and radically increasing the number of students actually making it into the industry.But not fast enough. Which is why Alison joins me today in Jamie Oliver's lovely new restaurant in Covent Garden, London, as she prepares to launch a new initiative that she hopes could actually start to change the way the sector approaches its support for schools.ResourcesDesign a restaurant with Jamie Oliver Class of Your Own websiteDesign Engineer Construct website

In today's podcast we return to the interesting, important and very often controversial topic of artificial intelligence – specifically the way that it is set – or not set - to transform the way we design construct, operate and maintain our infrastructure. Now, no one will have escaped to ubiquitous emergence of AI tools now finding their way into virtually every aspect of our lives – driving our phones and computers to influence and guide our working patterns, social media feeds, entertainment choices, cars, our social activities, food and perhaps even our friends.The infrastructure sector is not immune to this influence. As the use of data, digital technologies and software tools increases to help boost the efficiency and outcomes of design delivery and operation we are now seeing an inevitable rise in AI tools creeping in to smooth the flow of information.That means, at the one end, helping out with the time-consuming number crunching tasks by making sence of the vast amounts of data now flowing out of the infrastructure life cycle. Think of it as a handy helper tackling the mundane tasks and freeing up head space and time for professionals to focus on the creative problem-solving tasks.On the other hand, we are now also seeing the rise of AI tools capable of much more advanced decision making, using live data and complex rule sets to guide and influence the design, construction and operation and maintenance operations; easing the management of processes across all aspect of infrastructure. Some might say creating a fantastic opportunity to boost efficiency; others fear a spiralling route to disaster. Software companies are at the cutting edge of this AI revolution, creating new tools and platforms daily to transform the way professionals interact with data.Bentley Systems is one such software business which, at its recent Year in Infrastructure conference in Vancouver, revealed the on-going ambition to “revolutionise infrastructure through AI”. It is indeed an exciting and daunting moment for the sector so to hear more about these revolutionary ambitions it is my pleasure to chat today to Julien Moutte, Chief Technology Officer at Bentley Systems the man driving forward this revolution and rolling it out at dizzying pace for the infrastructure sector to grasp. ResourcesBentley Systems Year in Infrastructure 2024YII 2024 KeynotesCesium 3D TilesGoogle partnership

Today's podcast comes from Canada as I'm on a short North American trip, and  our discussion is focused how technology is set to – perhaps is already – transforming the delivery and operation of public transport. In particular, we ask what lessons can be learnt from around the world – specifically from Toronto - by welcoming Kirsten Watson, Vice President of Government Relations and Transit Market Sector Leader at AECOM to the podcast todayKirsten is former Deputy CEO at Toronto Transit Commission and has just been chairing a fascinating series of conversations about the future of infrastructure at the Transforming Infrastructure Performance Summit in Toronto. This is the latest in a series of global summits hosted by infrastructure software business Bentley System, which, over the last couple of years I have had the pleasure of assisting in the delivery.So why Toronto? Well, of course the need for investment in infrastructure is a global challenge as we attempt to drive economies through the provision of better, more effective, lower carbon energy sources, housing, healthcare, water supplies and transport. Toronto - and Ontario Province in which is sits - understands this well and has ambitious plans, led by Infrastructure Ontario, to invest over $185 billion Canadian dollars in the next 10 years to build new roads, transit and hospitals as using public cash through the Canadian Infrastructure Bank and the new Ontario Infrastructure Bank to support further private capital.A pressing issue not least given the impact of a changing climate and the fact that the population of the Greater Toronto area is expected to grow by 2.5 million by 2041.From the outset, Ontario has set out its ambition to harness the use of new technologies to both help deliver this ambitious agenda on time and on budget, but also to improve and transform the operation and maintenance of assets through the use of data digital twins and an array of artificial intelligence tools. It is a bold plan and one that perhaps the world might learn from – and, indeed, it must be said, Toronto is equally keen to learn from others. So let's hear more. ResourcesToronto's infrastructure plans Ontario Infrastructure Transforming Infrastructure Performance Summit TorontoCanadian Infrastructure BankAECOM TorontoBentley Systems TIP hubThe Future of Infrastructure Group Canada

In the podcast today we talk about the challenge of inclusive design and how to make the infrastructure sector more accessibility to a wider range of society.It's a huge issue and “not merely a problem to be solved, but a commitment to ensuring independence and dignity for all.” Not my words but those of my guest today Meg Ginsberg, who describes herself as an assistant project manager at South West Water, charity founder and disabled mum. As a wheelchair user who has forged a career infrastructure,Meg knows first-hand the challenge of both improving accessibility for disabled professionals in the industry but also the vital difference that her perspective brings to decision making.According to Meg, while hiring diverse employees capable of adapting, upskilling, and delivering is key to success in construction, the employment rate of disabled people is 53%, compared to 82% of non-disabled people.Perhaps, she adds, because one in five disabled individuals is unable to travel due to the lack of appropriate transport options, a reality that impacts the lives of the 16M disabled people in the UK.For example, she says, a wheelchair user's commute can take up to five times longer than that of a non-disabled person in London. Therefore, closing the transport accessibility gap for disabled people in the UK, she says, could deliver economic benefits of over £70bn per year through improved well-being and access to education and employment.Meg is tackling the challenge head on and has founded the Construct Ability charity which she hopes will refocus attitudes and provide the tools to create a society where infrastructure is not a barrier to, but a facilitator of equal opportunities for all.ResourcesConstruct Ability About MegICE accessibility blogAbout Meg's Bath & Bristol Railway Marathon challengeEnergy & Utility Skills 2024 Awards

In today's podcast we tackle a vital but too often overlooked area of infrastructure delivery namely commissioning – the art and science of preparing and taking assets into service ready to deliver the outcomes required from the investment.   It is indeed a vital activity for every infrastructure professional to be aware of. For every asset owner and project sponsor for that matter. And while the results of getting commissioning right are so often unnoticed, the impact of getting it wrong can be commercially, socially, environmentally and politically disastrous.So often fantastic infrastructure projects fall at the final hurdle by either opening late, having to close immediately after opening for retrofit and repair, fail to deliver outcomes to expectation, or see costs spiral as teams rally and race to meet the commercial promises of opening dates.In the UK we might think about delays to the opening of the Jubilee Line Extension and Crossrail projects, West Coast Mainline, baggage handling problems on Heathrow Terminal Five, signalling and train power issues on the Channel Tunnel Rail link - the list goes on. Usually the problem simply comes down to a lack of thought, time, investment and prioritisation for the commissioning process – those vital steps that make the assets ready for operation.It doesn't have to be that way. In fact, according to the Industrial Commissioning Association,  a relatively new organisation devoted to improving the quality and performance of commissioning across infrastructure, industrial and process sectors, the more people working on projects understand the importance of commissioning and the value it provides, the more successful projects will be in meeting cost, schedule, and quality objectives.So let's here more about this very attractive proposition and find out about the opportunities and what's holding us back by welcoming Paul Turner, chief executive of the Industrial Commissioning Association who is driving the new organisation forward after a career spent wrestling with commissioning around the world.ResourcesIndustrial Commissioning Association websiteProject Commissioning - Start With the End in Mind reportGlobal Commissioning StandardHow Big Things Get Done

In today's podcast we reflect on last year's HS2 north project cancellation and, one year one, explore what lessons might be learnt for future major project delivery as we move into the Starmer government era.Now, I have been writing about infrastructure projects for 30 years and it seems that when you look back, one consistent theme constantly crops up – the delivery of major infrastructure projects is troublesome to say the least. As an industry we continuously over-promise when it comes to budgets and programme and under-deliver when it comes to social, economic and environmental outcomes. I'm thinking Jubilee Line Extension, Heathrow T5, Channel Rail Link, Crossrail – all fantastic assets today, but the delivery process has left the industry's reputation in the eyes of the public and politicians in tatters. In fact, according to book “How Big Things Get Done” by Flyvbjerg and Gadner, 99.5% of major projects worldwide are over budget, over time and fail to deliver their expected benefits.So when then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced to the Conservative Party Conference in October 2023 that phase 2 of the HS2 project beyond the West Midlands would be cancelled and replaced with “Network North”, a £36bn hastily thrown together hotch potch of transport projects, it was hardly a surprise.HS2, said Sunak. “is a project whose costs have more than doubled, which has been repeatedly delayed and it is not scheduled to reach Manchester for almost two decades… … and for which the economic case has massively weakened with the changes to business travel post Covid.”  Much disappointment and derision followed. HS2 will now run only from London to Birmingham, with the Oak Common to Euston link on hold until a private sector backed solution can be found. The industry's reputation for delivery sent once again into the bin.I say again because this is not the first example of politically driven descoping as politicians run out of patience waiting for a ribbon to cut. Think the Channel Tunnel in the 1970s, the Crossrail project in the late 1980s, the Advanced Passenger Train in the 1990s, numerous tram projects in the noughties. Of course many of these projects eventually restarted and reaped benefits beyond expectation..The question is why do they seem to have such troubled births? It warrants deeper discussion. It is therefore my pleasure to welcome Kay Hughes, former HS2 design director and Andy Murray, executive director at the Major Projects Association who have just jointly authored a new report looking specifically at what the major projects sector can learn from this recent HS2 cancellation experience. Resources-MPA report: "Cancellation of major projects: Perspectives on rethinking the approach to major projects inspired from HS2 Phase 2 lessons"-MPA Prestige Lecture 2024: The Politics of Projects: Professor Ben Ansell-HS2 North Cancellation announcement -Network North-How Big Things Get Done

In today's podcast we talk about housing – specifically what needs to happen to ensure that the construction sector is set to meet the new government's ambitious target of building 1.5 million new homes over the next five years.There is no question that when we look back at the past performance of housebuilding in the UK, we have some way to go to meet this 300,000+ new homes a year target.The reality is that new house building numbers have rarely nudged over 200,000 a year in the last 40 years. That was, of course the point in time that local authority housing investment really dried up, handing the task largely over to the private sector and market forces.There are signs that the new government wants this to change. The recent announcement by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner on planning and housing targets underlined a clear ambition to challenge and support local authorities.But as many have already pointed out, there is no silver bullet to solving the housing crisis. When it comes to delivering on these housing targets, the nation and the construction industry still faces a rake of challenges beyond removing the planning obstacles that the government has initially – and probably rightly targeted. With this week seeing publication of the long awaited Moore-Bick report into the 2017 Grenfell fire, which will be another sobering moment for construction.It will, I am sure, reinforce the need to transform the sector away from low cost, low quality model highlighted by Dame Judith Hackett's 2018 report into building standards that followed the fire. Of course, we have been talking about these challenges for literally decades – not least the need to find and retain the right skills. But we now have a new government and a new imperative to finally turn the dial and transform the sector into a shape capable of meeting the ambitious but never-the-less vital targets set by Labour.So let's hear more. My guest today is Mark Farmer founder and chief executive of Cast Consultancy and a font of knowledge when it comes to accelerating constructions performance and specifically the challenges of kickstarting the nations lack-luster housebuilding performance.ResourcesCast ConsultancyThe Farmer Review - Modernise of DieIndependent Review of Building Safety - Dame Judith Hackett 2018 Government announces planning overhaul - 2024Labour manifestoKings Speech background briefing

In today's podcast we once again build on Labour's first King's Speech and dig into the UK's ambitions for an energy transition.The government has placed energy security and the rapid move away from fossil fuels high on its agenda for this parliament underlining its pre-election manifesto pledges to do just that. This set out the route towards energy independence, stretching towards a clean energy future by 2030 with Great British Energy, its newly launched publicly-owned energy company driving investment into onshore wind, solar power and offshore wind power.It's certainly an ambitious plan. Some might say over ambitious. However, it is an ambition that will require the entire infrastructure sector to buy into as we move the dial towards a new era away from the dependence on imported energy.Offshore wind sits at the heart of delivering this ambition as the most expensive but arguably least community disruptive source. Current plans set out by the last government aimed for an additional 50 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity in the UK by 2030 – a tripling of the current 28GW installed. Big numbers indeed. Which makes the UK's port network critical to accessing this huge resource, providing the shipping capacity, the skills and expertise and of course the infrastructure required to bring the power back to the land.  It's a huge challenge and a huge opportunity for the port sector, which, by the way, is also simultaneously at the heart of the UK's efforts to drive growth and smooth the flow of post-Brexit trade and exports into mainland Europe. Investing to improve this infrastructure is clearly going to be critical. So let's hear more. My guest today is Francis Paonessa, Capital Projects and Engineering Director at Associated British Ports. With 21 ports under its management across England, Scotland and Wales, ABP is the UK's largest port operator and as such is deeply involved in smoothing the flow of UK freight but also in providing the infrastructure and expertise that will become the backbone for the UK's plans for energy transition. ResourcesAssociated British Ports websiteKing's SpeechWhat are Freeports? Great British EnergyOffshore wind strategy

In today's podcast we discuss the way artificial intelligence is set to transform infrastructure performance.In the short time since generative AI tools such ChatGPT and array of AI driven apps have emerged and become mainstream, our daily interactions with data has changed dramatically. There should therefore, be absolutely no doubt in anyone's minds that AI has the power to truly transform the way we live, work and play.Notwithstanding the clear – and potentially well founded – fears around the unintended consequences of accelerating the use of AI technology, few can rule out the potential for change that is around the corner.So what does the technology hold for infrastructure design construction and management sector? A sector which, after all has been synonymous with slow digital uptake and poor productivity and performance for decades?Well it is clear that the use of digitisation and data across the planning, design, delivery and deployment of major infrastructure programmes is already becoming key to improving outcomes as we move beyond the use of Building Information Modelling towards greater use and exploitation of data and digital systems across the sector. My guest today truly understands this potential. Rene Morkos, is chief executive of ALICE Technologies – which has developed the World's first Generative Construction Simulator - we'll come back to that! He's also a professor at Stanford University where he gained a PhD in amongst other things applied Artificial Intelligence techniques and is a true champion for technological change across the entire infrastructure delivery process.ResourcesALICE Technologies websiteAbout ALICEIndustrial Strategy: Construction Sector DealUK government BIM mandate 2016Building magazine profile of Rene

We're back from a short summer week off and with today's podcast  we are going to talk about how the engineering sector can support the new Labour government's ambition to roll out infrastructure investment at pace and drive growth back into the UK economy.There can be no doubt about the new government's infrastructure ambitions following the recent King's Speech which unequivocally placed investment in the nation's energy, transport, water and communication infrastructure at the heart of economic growthBut how will this ambition be translated into reality? How will the industry need to change to ensure that we maximise the outcomes from every hard-earned pound of public and private cash? Cash that is far from abundant.Without question the industry has to change and in particular the traditional role of design focused businesses must evolve to meet the new demands of infrastructure clients – and of the businesses and public that they serve – to focus on boosting the outcomes that they deliver.To help me with this challenge, my guest today is Alex Gilbert, managing director of Amey Consulting, the design and problem solving wing of infrastructure service provider Amey, which, now freed from the shackles of its long term own Ferrovial, is now reshaping its strategy and its culture under new private equity ownership. Alex has his hands full as he attempts to leverage the firm's traditional engineering and design skills and add in a raft of new talents, ideas and technologies to help generate not just greater efficiency from their infrastructure investment, but meet this new challenge of fundamentally shifting the quality and value of the outcomes that this investment achieves. All of which is, of course, crucial to delivering the ambitions demanded by his public and private sector clients but also to meeting the growth and value uplift demanded by the team at Buckthorn Partners, Amey's new private equity owners.Let's find out more.ResourcesThe Kings Speech 2024Amey websiteBuckthorn Partners websiteAmey apprenticeships

In today's podcast we build on last week's Kings Speech and dig into the new government's ambitions to reform the much-criticised water sector and drive investment into this vital part of the UK's infrastructure.And it's just a week or so after the delayed release of Ofwat's long-awaited draft determination setting out how much water companies will be allowed to charge customers over the next five years. And it looks like an interesting and challenging time for everyone working in the sector.As my guest last week Alasdair Reisner, chief executive of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association explained, for all the political, financial and environmental pressures piling up on the sector, there is no question that water is set to be one of the big growth markets over the next decade or so, as water companies battle to guarantee supplies, manage flooding, protect against drought and reduce the number of pollution incidents.So how will this all map out for the supply chain? Where are the real opportunities? Well let's ask someone with their finger on the pulse of the water industry. My guest today is Tom Williams, non-executive director of British Water, the body representing the water sector supply chain and ceo of water technology and innovation consultancy Enebio. ResourcesOfwat's draft determination July 2024British Water response of Ofwat's draft determinationWater UK response of Ofwat's draft determinationThe King's SpeechNational Water Safety Forum guide to open water swimming

In the podcast today we spend a few moments digging behind the headlines from last week's Kings Speech and try to understand what the implications of the new government's ambitious first legislative programme will mean for the civil engineering and infrastructure sector.In my Kings Speech preview last week I perhaps adopted a somewhat optimistic tone regarding the potential prospect of a rake of new infrastructure investment flowing rapidly from this new government. Well listening to King Charles as he addressed parliament, I reckon that this optimism was justified! “My Ministers will get Britain building,” he said.  “Including through planning reform, as they seek to accelerate the delivery of high quality infrastructure and housing. They will also pursue sustainable growth by encouraging investment in industry, skills and new technologies.”I reckon that of the 39 bills introduced in this parliamentary session at least a dozen will have a direct impact on the infrastructure sector, But of course talk is just talk; promises to enact legislation do not necessarily translate into immediate boom time for the industry supply chain. So in reality what does all this promise of change actually mean in terms of boosting activity in the critical UK construction sector?Well who better to do that analysis for us than Alasdair Reisner, chief executive of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association and the man very much with his finger on the pulse of the sector. ResourcesThe King's Speech 2024Civil Engineering Contractors Association King's Speech response Construction Leadership Council ‘Building A Safer, Healthier and More Sustainable Future for All'

This podcast is a bit different. In short, due to various reasons, you just have me. But that's fine as it's a great opportunity to have a quick catch up post General Election and a gaze into the crystal ball to see what the new and very shiny Starmer government has in store for infrastructure as we head towards the Kings Speech and opening of a new Parliamentary session this Wednesday.And without getting unnecessarily nostalgic, it's a great moment to point out - and to mark the fact - that it is 30 years this week since, having sat and passed my professional exams to become a chartered civil engineer, I packed my bags from Sir Owen Williams and Partners and made the bold decision to join New Civil Engineer magazine and start a new career in journalism.A quick shout out to my old colleague and buddy Diarmaid Fleming, who reminded me of this milestone.  Diarmaid and I joined NCE on the same day and from similar backgrounds and were famously both late for our first Monday morning news meeting with then editor Mike Winney.Well last week's landslide sweep to power by Labour was, of course, reminiscent of the 1997 win under Tony Blair. That prompted an unprecedently renaissance in infrastructure spending, urged on by the fledgling private finance initiative and underpinned by large dollops of public spending and public debt.They were heady times that saw huge changes in the UK approach to public transport, to energy policy and to investment in schools, hospitals, prisons and in national and local highways. The reality is that today, hardly a new ministerial speech goes by without reference to infrastructure investment as the key to driving economic growth and kickstarting the transformation of UK living standards.As Sir Kier Starmer puts it in the pre-Election manifesto, we are presented with “an opportunity to begin the work of national renewal." OK, so that was the ambition. What about the reality of delivery when the rubber hits the road. It's a tough brief given the perilous state of the public finances so let's take a quick look at six key issues that jump out to me as interesting factors that might shape the next five to ten years of infrastructure and try to get a sense of where we are heading. 1. Giving teeth to the NIC2. Planning reform3. Focus on Local Authorities4. Great British Energy5. Transport strategy6. Creating an infrastructure investment fundResources Labour Party manifesto National Infrastructure CommissionMinistry of Housing, Communities & Local GovernmentLord Hendy appointed Minister of State

In today' podcast we talk about new thinking to create a new era for infrastructure deliveryBy the time you hear this podcast the dust will have settled on the General Election and we will know the rough direction in which the UK is set to take for the next five years.But as it stands right now, all we can really say for certain is that whoever is in Downing Street, they will have investment in infrastructure high on their list of key levers to drive the future economy. [spoiler alert - it's Kier Starmer!]And given the state of the public finances, they will also be looking to the construction planning design and delivery sectors to come up with some pretty radical new ways to start to turn the tide of poor productivity; and to embrace new thinking to boost economic, social and environmental outcomes created from every penny of public cash spent.Which means that now, perhaps more than at any time in the last 30 years, as an industry, construction and infrastructure has to change. Yes we have made great progress in terms of safety but we have to be more effective, more productive and frankly, more modern.So what does that mean in reality. How does a hugely traditional and culturally slow to change industry transform itself by embracing ideas such as digital solutions, modern methods of construction and systems thinking?How does the sector convince the next administration that every public pound spent with it will be rewarded in terms of driving the much sought after economic and social growth.Tricky questions so let's ask an expert by welcoming Andy Beard, the new managing director for infrastructure at global consultancy and construction firm Mace to the podcast today.ResourcesMace websiteLatham reviewEgan ReviewLabour Party manifesto Construction Leadership Council website

It's General Election week and so in today's podcast we talk about creating sustainable growth - and how we ensure that professional engineers remain at the top table when it comes to influencing the vital infrastructure investment decisions needed to deliver it.Given that we are choosing out next government this week, it seems a great moment to find out how an organisation like the ACE, the Association for Consultancy and Engineering - which for over a century has been the voice of engineering consultancy - can ensure that any new administration makes the right decisions when it comes to the long-term planning for UK infrastructure. Not least given that the ACE has just published a post-Election manifesto setting out the priorities for the next UK Government to achieve sustainable growth.Of course, over the last decade or so we have seen the world of engineering consultancy change dramatically. The market has consolidated to create a small number of super large, globally focused, multi-disciplinary consultancies while new technologies and tools have begun to transform the entire design and asset management process. Clients perhaps benefit from lower costs and a single point of contact but what has been the impact on innovation and agility? Has the sector been squashed by falling fee levels and crushed by unbalanced risk allocation?Or is the sector in fact a thriving hotbed of new ideas driven by these new technologies and new young thinking?Without question every political party talks about the need to boost our investment in infrastructure and accelerate its delivery as core to driving growth. But the constant question is how to turn this enthusiasm into actual outcomes when the robber hits the road and public spending realities inevitably dawn.Now is certainly a moment for change. So let's find out by welcoming Kate Jennings, chief executive of the ACE to the podcast today. Kate is three months into her role so let's find out what her manifesto says and what she has planned.ResourcesACE manifesto - Sustainable Growth and Prosperity ACE websiteKate Jennings joins ACE press releaseGriffiths & Armour PI advice

In this podcast we  talk about the vital role of small businesses in driving growth into the UK economy as they invest in skills and technology to lead innovation and new thinking across the infrastructure sector.And as we approach the General Election and all parties talk about the need to drive growth, it is a great moment to talk about how government can stimulate this massive engine.While the big projects and large global consultant and contractors tend to steal the headlines and occupy the seats of power and influence across the sector, the reality is that it is the army of small and medium size enterprises that really keep the entire sector going; According to Build UK, the construction sector employs 3.1 million people, which is 1 in 10 of the UK workforce, and it has the largest share of self- employed people across the economy at 19%. And across its members, it adds, he average size of the workforce of was 2,621, with 82% of those directly employed.But we need a whole lot more talent, In fact, according to a recent report by the Construction Industry Training Board, it is estimated that for the sector to maintain its required output, it needs to recruit over 45,000 new people every year for the next five years. It's a massive challenge and a vital challenge if we are to truly leverage the power of these small businesses that sit at the heart of the industry and make it all happen. So who better to discuss this with than, Julie White, managing director of specialist contractor D-Drill and chair of Build UK, the body representing the UK contractors. Julie is an entrepreneur and until the election was called, a member of the Prime Minister's Small Business Council in the Department for Business and Trade. ResourcesBuild UK websiteD-Drill websiteCITB website latest skills researchPrime Minister's Small Business Council

In the podcast today we talk about the opportunities and challenges of retrofitting our built environment to make our homes, offices, industrial buildings and infrastructure more energy efficient but also more resilient to a changing climate.To meet our vitally important and hugely challenging target to become a net-zero carbon emitter by 2050, we urgently need to decarbonise the UK's real estate. Our homes, our offices, our commercial buildings, our schools hospitals and public buildings. And given that some 40% of our carbon emissions come from the built environment, from heating, powering and operating these buildings - we need to prioritise retrofitting.  Retrofitting is known to be one of the best ways to address this challenge, as around 80% of the buildings that we will be using in 2050 already exist today. We just need to make them perform better.  But right now we are not on track – retrofitting our existing building stock is certainly still sitting in the too difficult basket when it comes to meeting the UK's ambitious net zero targets. Yet there are so many examples of how easily it could change.So to discuss this hugely important topic, and the routes to success, my guest today is Sara Edmonds, who wears many hats but one is as co director of the National Retrofit Hub so should be able to give us plenty of though provoking detail.ResourcesBuilt Environment – Smarter TransformationRetrofit Balsall HeathHEAL - Home Energy Action LabWe Can MakePeople Powered RetrofitLoco Home RetrofitArchitects Climate Action NetworkBuilding Centre Retrofit 24

In today's podcast we talk about the power of professional engineering and explore why a largely unseen and unsung profession increasingly has the power to change all our lives.If you think about the major issues and challenges facing the whole of society today, they all seem to come back to infrastructure and engineering. While the headlines may be being grabbed by pre-Election party politics, it is the need to tackle climate change and meet our net zero targets, the cost of energy, the challenge of mobility and public transport, that really stand in the way of our future well being.And the list goes on.  The health and well-being implications of water and air pollution, the demand for decent affordable housing, the need to rebuild the nation's biodiversity. All are key issues that simply will not be solved without the input from and, critically, the leadership by professional engineers. Yet as we see right now as the General Election moves into full swing, when it comes to discussing the big issues facing the UK - and the world for that matter - those professional engineers are largely in the shadows. Working hard and brimming with solutions but nevertheless resigned to taking instruction rather than leading. To discuss whether this is fair - or even whether it matters, my guest today is Sir Jim McDonald, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the fellowship organisation dedicated to and focused on championing excellence in all fields of engineering. As one of the UK's most accomplished engineers, Sir Jim co-chairs the Scottish Government's Energy Advisory Board with the First Minister, is Chair of the Independent Glasgow Economic Leadership Board and holds senior business appointments with the Weir Group, Scottish Power, the UK Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, and the National Physical Laboratory.So in short, Sir Jim is an authority on professional engineering and its power to make change – particularly when it comes to energy transition.ResourcesRoyal Academy of Engineering websiteThe Queen Elizabeth Prize for EngineeringScottish Government's Energy Advisory BoardUK Offshore Renewable Energy CatapultNational Physical LaboratoryUniversity of Strathclyde