The House of Commons’ Terrace Pavilion was buzzing with energy yesterday as we kicked off a joint Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) and Environmental Industries Commission (EIC) Parliamentary Reception, with member companies, Government officials and politicians gathering to listen to Chief Executive Kate Jennings and other speakers discuss the future of our industry.
In her speech, Jennings welcomed the steps the Government has taken in developing a long-term industrial strategy and recent changes to HM Treasury’s fiscal rules that will support private investment for infrastructure projects. She spoke about how our industry plays a crucial role in all of the growth driving sectors identified in the recently published industrial strategy, whether that’s through delivering vital infrastructure or designing the buildings and spaces that enable these sectors to thrive. “Our members’ offer unrivalled expertise, support innovation, and facilitate knowledge transfer, ensuring that the UK remains at the forefront of global industry,” said Jennings.
She also highlighted what conditions our industry needs moving forward to continue to grow and thrive, commenting “Our members need certainty. Certainty that allows businesses to plan not just for next year but for the next decade. We need consistent pipelines of work and a clear regulatory framework that helps deliver infrastructure efficiently”.
Echoing these sentiments the Chair of ACE, Dr Sarah Pritchard, Director of Operational Excellence at Buro Happold, discussed how in order for the industrial strategy to be successful, the foundational nature of construction and engineering must be recognised. We must not underestimate the scale and reach of our industry and the impact it has on sectors as wide ranging as defence, clean energy and digital infrastructure.
The evening’s host, the Labour MP Mike Reader and recently appointed Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Infrastructure, spoke fondly of his previous career as a civil engineer and former project manager. Reader spent a decade at consultancy firm Pick Everard and six years at the Mace construction business, working on varied projects including an NHS Nightingale project during the COVID-19 pandemic, before being selected in March 2023 to contest the Northampton South Constituency.
In his remarks, Reader made a passionate case for how integral our members are in delivering the commitments on which the Labour Party was elected. He discussed how infrastructure can be an engine not just for economic growth but also tackling wider inequality. “Infrastructure is not just about bricks and mortar … it means connecting neglected regions of our country to opportunity, it means supporting the transition to net zero and it means ensuring the people of this country have the homes they need and access to the public services they deserve,” Reader argued.
The final speech of the evening was delivered by Jon Loveday, Director of Infrastructure, Enterprise, and Growth at the Infrastructure and Projects Authority. He began his remarks by highlighting the scale of some of the challenges are sector faces, referencing a recent report by our member Arcadis that ranked London as the most expensive city in the world in which to build, with all other major UK cities ranked in the top 25. He went on to provide our members with an insight into the Government’s plans for a new National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), which aims to boost Ministerial oversight and speed up the delivery of major infrastructure projects.
Loveday also outlined the huge potential technological advancements such as the adoption of Artificial Intelligence has to revolutionise the ways we deliver nationally significant infrastructure. “Technology is a catalyst to discovering new and innovative ways to meet our wider targets and commitments, such as achieving net zero, and creating opportunities for all regions to prosper”, Loveday commented. Our members are well placed to deliver this modernisation, with UK engineering expertise in high demand across the globe according to Loveday’s conversations with infrastructure leaders at a recent summit in Hong Kong.
We were delighted to welcome so many familiar faces alongside some of our new members. It is amazing to see our organisation going from strength to strength and our membership spread across all areas of the country. Discussions were held amongst attendees regarding the best methods our industry can utilise to effectively engage with Government and how to tackle shared problems including the skills gaps and planning delays. We would like to thank everyone who took the time to attend the reception and hope that members found the evening insightful. Explore the gallery here.
