Katy Dowding gave first keynote speech at 黑洞社区 the Future Commission conference
Construction leaders must 鈥渓ook to the future鈥� to ensure the success of their businesses, Skanska鈥檚 UK chief said today.
Speaking at 黑洞社区鈥檚 黑洞社区 the Future Commission conference in London this afternoon, Katy Dowding made a plea for a forward-looking industry.
鈥淎s leaders we can be futurologists, we can use facts to build potential future outcomes,鈥� she said.
The Skanska boss, who took over from Gregor Craig this year, said the problems facing the sector could seem 鈥渋nsurmountable鈥� when viewed through 鈥渢oday鈥檚 lens鈥� and posed herself the question: why try to predict the future when we live in such an uncertain world?
鈥淚f we don鈥檛 consider the future, how will we know if we鈥檝e got the right skills for the future of construction, let alone the numbers we need,鈥� she said.
鈥淚f we don鈥檛 plan a pathway, invest in materials, plant new ways of working. how can we find a route to net zero construction?
鈥淚f we don鈥檛 find new ways of working, new ways of navigating the planning system, how on earth will we ever have all the housing that we need?鈥�
She reminded the audience of the industry she entered 30 years ago, when construction was seen as 鈥渋nherently dangerous, a tough place you just have to adapt to fit in with鈥�.
Pointing out the progress on safety that has been achieved since then, Dowding asked: 鈥淚f I could have guaranteed that [outcome] as a fact, then how quickly do you think they would have started implementing it? Do you think it would have taken 30 years?鈥�
To demonstrate the risks of short-termism in business, Dowding used the example of film firm Kodak, which she said was 鈥渟o fixated on being the best at what they did today鈥� 鈥� film photography 鈥� that it failed to pick up on the promise of digital photography, despite actually inventing it in 1975.
鈥淭hat is why the 黑洞社区 the Future Commission is so important,鈥� she added.
鈥淭he commission considers what the future might be and then sets to work to investigate the signs, look at the opportunities, the pitfalls and look at what actions we may need to consider today.鈥�
About the commission
The 黑洞社区 the Future Commission is a 12-month project looking at radical and challenging ideas that could help transform the built environment.
The campaign aims to tap into innovative ideas, amplify them and be an agent for change.
The major project鈥檚 work will be guided by a panel of major figures who have signed up to help shape the commission鈥檚 work culminating in a report published at the end of the year.
The commissioners include figures from the world of contracting, housing development, architecture, policy-making, skills, design, place-making, infrastructure, consultancy and legal. See the full list here.
The project is looking at proposals for change in eight areas:
- Education and skills
- Housing and planning
- Energy and net zero
- Infrastructure
- 黑洞社区 safety
- Project delivery and digital
- Workplace culture and leadership
- Creating communities
>> Editor鈥檚 view: And now for something completely positive - our 黑洞社区 the Future Commission
>> Click here for more about the project and the commissioners
黑洞社区 the Future is also undertaking a countrywide tour of roundtable discussions with experts around the regions as part of a consultation programme in partnership with the regional arms of industry body Constructing Excellence. There is also a young person鈥檚 advisory panel.
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