The future of UK construction is dependent on effective partnership between government and industry, explained Chief Construction Adviser, Peter Hansford at the JCT Povey Lecture on 14th November 2013.
With his lecture, “A time for partnership”, Peter put forward his Industrial Strategy for Construction, ‘Construction 2025’, outlining key areas that require industry and government collaboration in order for the UK to have a world-class construction industry that is also a driver for economic growth.
Peter’s strategy identifies the topics of people, technology, sustainability, growth, and leadership as being the principal areas where the industry and government must find collaborative ways of working in order to achieve significant gains.
Setting out his ambitions for the future of construction, Peter said:
“It [Construction 2025] starts with a vision of a world […] Where buildings and infrastructure are conceived and built much faster, with greater whole-life value and better carbon and energy performance.
“With construction driving growth across the whole economy, and with UK companies working in partnership in markets at home and overseas.
“A vision of a world driven by digital technologies: in design, manufacturing, logistics, construction and whole-life asset management, with efficient procurement and strong, resilient supply chains.
“And a construction industry respected by society, with multi-talented young people, girls and boys, aspiring to take up rewarding professional and vocational careers in the built environment.
“The task of making it happen is not just for government, not just for industry. It requires a joint desire, joint resourcing and joint commitment. Without this sense of collaboration – this sense of partnership – it will fail.”
JCT Chief Executive Neil Gower, in his opening speech, said:
"Peter’s topic of partnership is one of importance to the construction industry and one on which JCT sees itself, in terms of contract provisions, at least, as very much in the lead.
“JCT was one of the first contract authoring bodies to produce a Partnering Charter in 2001. All JCT contracts contain collaborative provisions and JCT-CE, which was produced in 2006, was specifically designed with the concept of partnership in mind.
“Although some may say that true partnership is in many ways more an issue of culture than contract.”
Peter Hansford’s full povey lecture notes can be downloaded from the JCT website. A full and highlighted video will follow soon: http://www.jctltd.co.uk/povey-lecture.aspx