Welcome to 2008

At the end of 2007, Business Week said : “Get ready for anything in 2008, as companies, governments and indeed entire countries confront an array of dilemmas, and when the only constant will be change.  Building the next generation enterprise – and maybe even the next generation nation – will pre-occupy most of us in 2008.  The demand for innovation is soaring in the business community and is just beginning to gain traction in the political sphere – the Innovation Movement is still in its infancy, but it’s growing fast”.

This was written in the context of the forthcoming 2008 US Presidential Election, but the imperative to innovate as part of a new and urgent business culture is clear, come what may, and cannot afford to take anywhere near as long to adopt as it took to embrace quality as a now accepted business driver.

The innovation agenda is an important part of the EMCBE’s work under one of its three Work Streams, that of ‘Productivity and Innovation (Economic Performance)’.

In the early part of 2008 it is hoped that emda’s SPV for innovation in the sustainable built environment, the iCON, will be launched in Northampton (Daventry).  This will focus even more attention on the “Innovation Movement”, and the EMCBE will play its part in supporting that particular innovation network (iNET).

Your continued support of the EMCBE during 2008 will be just one of the ways we can, together, facilitate a greater regional awareness of how important the “demand for innovation” (and its actual implementation) is within the construction sector.

Thank you in advance for that support, and thank you for all that provided during 2007.

David J Walker
Chairman

Recognition for the Industry

David J Walker, Chairman of EMCBE has been recognised for services to the Construction Industry in the East Midlands, in The New Year Honours for 2008.  David received the Honour of MBE.

David is widely acknowledged for his dedication and strategic leadership to the Regional Construction Industry. Graduating from UMIST with a Civil Engineering (Hons) Degree in 1969, he moved to the region in 1972.  With Bowmer & Kirkland Ltd, he has held the position of Group Construction Director since 1986.  The Bowmer & Kirkland Group of Companies has its headquarters in Derbyshire, but it operates both nationally and internationally. 

Along with John Kirkland, OBE, Chairman of The Bowmer & Kirkland Group, and many other committed supporters, David has been one of the driving forces behind the establishment of the East Midlands Centre for constructing the Built Environment (EMCBE) an organisation established in September 2004 to provide the strategic leadership for the interests of the Region’s construction industry, with funding support from the East Midlands Development Agency.  The Centre is a regional partner to the national change organisation for the construction industry, Constructing Excellence.

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Midlands Highway Alliance

Excellent progress is being made with the MHA which currently involves all East Midlands highway authorities and the Highways Agency.  Chaired by Matthew Lugg, Director for Highways, Transport and Waste Management at Leicestershire County Council, the MHA has secured substantial financial support from the East Midlands Improvement Partnership. Its work is supported by the Collaborative Working Centre (CWC) and Constructing Excellence.

A collaboration with the Highways Agency has enabled a framework to be set up for the delivery of medium size schemes, involving four major contractors.  The MHA authorities will use the framework for the construction of works up to a value of £8m. It will last for just under three years and authorities will use it for a variety of works whose value exceeds their term maintenance works ‘ceiling’ of typically between £100k to £500k.

The Alliance also has working groups promoting collaboration in term contracts for maintenance and small improvements, procurement of commodities and is discussing the potential for a major schemes framework.

Within the Alliance, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire also have a successful professional services framework

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Study trip to Japan

At the beginning of November, seventeen representatives from the UK Construction Industry, left for Japan to study Housing, Construction and Process.

This trip arose from an earlier benchmarking exercise carried out by Constructing Excellence. The group visited several construction companies and a number of construction sites, ending at Toyota City which is the pinnacle of expertise in Design and Quality.

Moving forward with the knowledge discovered in Japan, an event will take place on 18th March, chaired by Steve Hindley, Chairman of Midas Group. The day will comprise of a number of briefing sessions on what was learnt and discovered in Japan, what this will mean for others in the future, and how this has been implemented within their organization. To find out more about this event, please contact Adrian Blumenthal - blumenthala@constructingexcellence.org.uk

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The Environment and Energy Awards 2008

Date: 20 May 2008
Place: ICC, Birmingham

The Awards
The Environment and Energy Awards are the industry’s annual opportunity to celebrate excellence and
achievement through rewarding its top achievers.
By uncovering new and innovative technologies, excellence in management and outstanding performances
within the environmental and energy sectors; the awards are your chance to prove to your employees,
competitors, suppliers and customers that you are the best in your sector.

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International Trade Seminar for Construction Professionals

Are you looking to grow and develop your business opportunities overseas?  This is will be an opportunity to attend the first seminar of its type delivered by UKTI in partnership with, East Midlands Centre for constructing the Built Environment and Constructing Excellence.  We are developing a long term programme for the UK construction industry, providing constant support to a national network of construction businesses with a specific interest to trade overseas.  Construction professionals have stated the need to collaborate and develop relationships with like minded organisations with complimentary skill sets.  The conference will provide opportunities for businesses to network and discover new contacts.  Delegates will have the opportunity to shape the agenda and focus efforts on, gathering specific intelligence and investigating markets by collaborating and commissioning a full Overseas Market Intelligence Service Report. 

The conference will cater for all types and sizes of business in the sector with experience in delivering solutions linked to Design in the Built Environment who are looking to grow and develop business opportunities overseas.

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Health & Safety Demonstrations

Constructing Excellence is working with the HSE to deliver a programme of Demonstration Projects on risk management approaches to occupational health.  We are currently looking for ten new Demonstrations in the region.  If you believe you are leading on Health and Safety issues on site and within your organisation, and would like to take part in this programme, we would like to hear from you.  To find out more information please contact Terry Everett at EMCBE on info@emcbe.com 01509 225800.

Reducing Waste Through Off Site Construction

A series of case studies published by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) has revealed that some off site construction (OSC) systems can reduce on site waste by up to 90 per cent.  This is an important step in equipping the industry with the knowledge they need to deliver the Government’s proposed target to halve construction waste to landfill by 2012.

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Grant Boosts for SME/Academic Collaborations

The Electronics Enabled Products Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) has announced four more projects to benefit from SPARK awards, which are designed to build relationships between small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and higher education institutes (HEIs).
The grants, which are of a fixed value of £5,000, are awarded to the relevant HEI to tackle a problem of direct relevance to the SME. Since their inception in 2002, they have had an excellent track record of developing longer term relationships between educational institutes and the business community.

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Designing out Waste is a Waste of Time?

Have you registered for this seminar on the 30th January? it will take the form of a “Question Time” panel debate.  To start off the event all of the panel members, who come from a range of disciplines within the construction industry, will give a short presentation highlighting the key issues from their perspective.  After a series of presentations the floor will be invited to d/ebate the topics which have been discussed.  This will aide the delegates to understand what they can do differently to overcome the barriers to designing out waste.

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Site Waste Management Plans – Are You Prepared?

From April 2008, all construction projects worth in excess of £250,000 must encompass a Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP). These one-day workshops ain to equip you and your organisation with the skills and expertise needed to assimilate your plan. The event will bring together all areas of expertise of the Built Environment affected by SWMPs, along with organisations who can provide an excellent range of tailored support.

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