BAM supports ENCORD to launch its first foresighting report
Hemel Hempstead, 19 October 2020 - The European Network of Construction Companies for Research and Development (ENCORD) has launched its first foresighting report, which aims to assist companies as they seek to navigate future disruptive changes.
Entitled ‘Understanding how driving forces will impact the construction industry in Europe by 2030’ the report was created with the input of over 250 construction professionals, who took part in four workshops. It explores the relevancy and certainty of a series of drivers and their likely impacts on our businesses. It also sets out a number of considerations for leaders as they seek to evaluate their own business readiness to respond to future change.
‘When we started work on our first ENCORD foresighting report in March 2019, we could not have imagined the state of the world 12 months later, with the COVID 19 pandemic’, states ENCORD Chairman, Norbert Pralle. ‘At a time when the world seems to have turned upside down, people might question whether this is the right occasion to be looking at the future. However, if the last few weeks have taught us anything, it is that everyone needs to be better prepared for disruptive change.’
While it is not a crystal ball, foresighting helps organisations to better understand how the future might develop, providing valuable insights into potential scenarios, risks and opportunities, so that they can increase their resilience. We would encourage every business within the construction industry to study our report, carry out the workshops and consider the implications for their organisation.
‘The workshops really helped participants to take a step back and consider which drivers will impact their business and that of their clients. In many cases it highlighted that they should already have a strategy in place for some of the driving forces and need to do more to help their clients prepare for change at a project level’, says Stephanie Whittaker, ENCORD’s Foresight Work Group Leader and BAM employee.
Despite the pandemic putting an end to travel for the time being, ENCORD is continuing with its foresighting work, moving face-to-face meetings online to bring together work group participants from across Europe. ‘We recognise that as the construction industry emerges from the COVID 19, it will have to adapt to the social, political and economic transformation the virus has caused’, states Stephanie Whittaker. ‘As a group we are already exploring what these changes might mean and evaluating how business models within the construction sector may need to adapt.’
BAM is a member of ENCORD and is actively engaged in the work it undertakes. Our involvement with the foresighting group stems from its inception in 2018 and it is led by Stephanie Whittaker, who works for BAM Construct UK.
To find out more about the work of the Foresighting group and to download the report click here
About ENCORD
ENCORD is a forum for all industry stakeholders whose main business lies in the construction sector. Founded in 1989 ENCORD has become a major network in the construction sector. Our members are leading companies and suppliers with a business focus on Europe. Representatives of the companies are decision-makers and executives working on research, development and innovation. www.encord.org