Innovate UK and the Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy have formed a partnership to deliver the next phase of digitisation in the construction sector through Digital Built Britain.

Digital Built Britain, first announced in the 2016 budget, will deliver reductions in whole-life costs and carbon emissions, whilst improving productivity and capacity by using intelligent building information models, sensing technology and secure data and information infrastructure. Digital Built Britain will also continue the work of the globally recognised BIM Task Group programme, set up in 2011 to deliver up to 20% savings on costs of major projects.

Mark Bew MBE, chair of the BIM Task Group and the newly formed Digital Built Britain programme, said: “The UK has made a significant step in creating a world-class position in delivering capability, standards and capacity in the sector to reduce cost and increase value. The coming together of the BIM and smart city programme into Digital Built Britain will continue this commitment to providing jobs, homes, services and growth to the UK economy”

In reducing the cost of projects, the BIM Task Group has been working with the product manufacturing industry. The BIM Task Group authored the Product Data Definition, providing a consistent approach to describing product information in plain language terms, and easing data and information exchange and translation through the lifecycle of an asset. The Construction Products Association is now leading its implementation as LEXiCON, and already have the support of over 70% of construction product trade associations to ensure those with the expertise identify what information should be shared.

The ground-breaking work on data infrastructure within the Digital Built Britain programme will help to deliver other Government digital transformation objectives, including building successful UK sectors in smart cities, cyber and physical security and sensors through the Internet of Things. The programme will provide a focus for aligning activity in the areas of BIM and Smart Cities, ensuring a consistent approach to this vital enabler of public services and economic growth.

Peter Caplehorn Deputy CEO and Policy Director of the CPA said “The digitalisation of the construction sector is revolutionising every aspect of the industry has it has done in other areas. Driving up performance reliability efficiency in construction is vital on an industry and national level. The DNA of construction  is the products and ensuring they are fully connected to this sea change is crucial in making digital every day business. The CPA are delighted to support this change and their members through the launch of the LEXICON system”