To celebrate the work of the IET’s Built Environment Panel a session on the UK Construction Week main stage last week looked at how bring together disparate voices can help enable change.

Chaired by Su Butcher of Just Practising Limited, the session included Patricia Massey, BEAMA’s Digital and Technology Manager, alongside Paul Surin of IBM, Neil Thompson of the Construction Leadership Council (and chair of the Built Environment Panel) and Geoffrey Brown of the UK Government’s Office for Product Safety and Standards who are forming the new construction product regulator.

The aim of the IET’s expert panels is to bring together different voices across engineering and beyond, to explore ideas and solutions and share these with the industry and with government, supporting their work and helping to improve communication and collaboration. This work has led to the publication of a number of useful reports, guides and white papers, including the plain language guide to Digitisation for Construction Product Manufacturers and the Apollo Protocol, a proposal to unify the use of digital twins across sectors by developing a common language and approach, so that we can benefit from connected value chains, encourage circularity and bridge the performance gap.

The panel session looked at the value of crossing the sectoral divide and learning from colleagues with different experience and expertise. They also discussed how taking a ‘helicopter view’ can be enlightening as well as frightening, yet is essential for breaking down the silos which contribute to many of the challenges faced by built environment professionals.

Information about the new construction product regulator was shared, including the six pilot product groups the regulator is currently working on (Cladding and Insulation, Fire Doors, Cross Laminated Timber, Plywood and Smoke and Fire Dampers). The regulator is aware of the challenge of defining a ‘construction product’ and the need to address other products in the built environment which have an impact on user safety.

The Apollo Protocol is hosting a live launch event at Savoy Place on 25th October when the next steps for the project will be revealed.

If you are interested in the work of the Built Environment Panel you can visit https://www.theiet.org/impact-society/sectors/built-environment/ or email sep@theiet.org.