Strategy to boost overseas trade in technologies such as BIM set to be unveiled in coming months
The government has been holding meetings with several construction businesses about exporting the UK鈥檚 expertise in smart construction such as BIM, 黑洞社区 can reveal.
The Department for International Trade (DIT) wants to increase the UK鈥檚 share of the global smart construction market and in its Construction 2025 document, published six years ago, told the industry it wanted to see it being more proactive about exporting its skills.
It said: 鈥淭he construction industry needs to position itself at the forefront of smart construction and digital design by driving forward the Digital Built Britain agenda. If it doesn鈥檛, the UK will be left behind.鈥�
The DIT has also been speaking to the Centre for Digital Built Britain about export opportunities.
Phil Southgate, managing director for Gleeds鈥� building surveying division and one of the firms involved in the discussions, told 黑洞社区: 鈥淏ecause [Gleeds] is a fairly leading party in terms of BIM in the UK, they鈥檙e talking to us and we鈥檙e supporting them in terms of that.鈥�
He added: 鈥淭hey鈥檝e started with a fairly high level of engagement with [overseas countries] as opposed to saying 鈥榳e鈥檒l bring best practice鈥� but there鈥檚 no hiding from the fact they鈥檙e saying 鈥榳e want to sell UK construction to you鈥�.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e not shared a particular strategy at the moment in terms of targeting anywhere in particular 鈥� it鈥檚 a case of push the doors and see which ones open.鈥�
But he said one of the DIT strategies is expected to involve sending out UK staff to provide practical support on major infrastructure projects.
鈥淢y guess would be staff going out from the UK to deliver roles on those projects and then building off the back of that, trying to assist with those countries with development of their capabilities. It鈥檚 early days but [the strategy] will begin to take shape over the new few months.鈥�
In its 2025 document, the government talked up the benefits of exporting skills in smart and digital construction techniques.
鈥淯K supply chains will secure a substantial share of this rapidly growing market both at home and overseas, where UK expertise in advanced engineering and design leaves our businesses well placed to capitalise on significant export potential.鈥�
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