Sir John Fairclough, former chief
scientific adviser to the Cabinet Office, ex-Director of IBM
UK laboratories, and former Chairman of the Engineering Council
has completed a root and branch review of how to secure the right
construction research skills and facilities for the future.
The review, undertaken jointly on behalf of the DTI and the
DTLR, has assessed what understanding, knowledge, skills and
facilities in construction research are likely to be needed
to meet the future requirements of government and industry,
and how and where those competences are best supported. The
study was supported by an assessment of current UK construction
competences undertaken by the Science and Technology Policy
Research Unit (SPRU), University of Sussex.
The Fairclough Report
Background to Review
| Aims and Objectives |
Written Contributions
| The next steps | Career
Background to Review
The Government currently spends around £23m per year in commissioning
construction-related research and supporting innovation. The aims of
this expenditure are to underpin the development of regulation and
ensure safety and health in buildings and to support the sustainability
and competitiveness of the UK construction industry.
Currently around half of this expenditure is with the Building Research
Establishment (BRE) - the majority in projects funded under the terms of
the Framework Agreement that was put in place on privatisation in 1997.
With the ending of the BRE Framework Agreement in March 2002, the
Government will no longer be obliged to offer a minimum value of work
each year to BRE. This provides the opportunity to review the
construction research competences and facilities which government needs
to continue to support in the future and to consider how and where those
competences are best supported.
Aims and Objectives
The objective of the review was to assess what research competences and
facilities it is necessary for government to help maintain in order:
- to provide scientific underpinning for the Building Regulations;
- to be able to respond quickly to urgent concerns which may arise over
the safety and health implications of buildings and structures; and
- to support government policy to ensure a more competitive and sustainable
UK construction industry.
Where "competence" is taken to mean understanding, knowledge and skills in
relation to construction technologies, techniques and processes and their
application to building components and systems.
The review examined the competences and facilities currently supported
by government at BRE, identified where else such competences and facilities
exist, and identified new requirements for competences and facilities
which do not exist within construction at present.
The study also made recommendations about the level and distribution of continuing support which DTI’s Construction Sector Unit
should provide to support key competences nationally.
For full terms of Sir John's review of construction competences
click here
The Fairclough Report
Hard copies of the report are no longer available. The report and annex can be viewed at
www.dti.gov.uk/construction/main.htm
The Fairclough report has been made available in Adobe
Acrobat format for downloading.
The Adobe Acrobat
Reader can be freely downloaded here.
(959kb)
Viewers with visual difficulties may find it useful to investigate
services provided to improve the accessibility of Acrobat
documents --
Written Contributions
Several key organisations were invited to make written contributions to the review.
In seeking written input, Sir John's aim was to identify how the industry themselves
currently view research and development within the sector, the areas they believe to be
the major research issues that face the industry and their "vision" for the future.
The Construction Research and Innovation Strategy Panel
The Construction Industry Council
The Institute of Civil Engineers
The Reading Construction Forum
The Building Research Establishment
Co-Construct
The next steps
The report contains a number of key recommendations aimed at Government as well as a call for
action and commitment by the industry and its research base.
As well as opening dialogue within public sector clients to develop practical ways innovation
and research can be promoted, Brian Wilson, Minister for Industry, has written to key construction
industry stakeholders calling for them to develop a new vision for the industry's future
and pledging government support to help implement the reports recommendations.
Reaction to the challenges laid down by Sir Johns report are expected by the end of April
following which discussions on how best to implement new arrangements will commence.
Sir John Fairclough has been invited to discuss his findings with the Strategic Forum,
the Construction Research and Innovation Strategy Panel and the Universities Built
Environment Research Network.
Further developments will be publicised through the DTI website and via the Construction
Industry press.
Career
Sir John Fairclough has over 30 years' experience of the computer industry and manufacturing projects in the displays, other electronics, and hardware sectors.
He is currently Chairman of Opsys Plc, Cartezia, Smart Chemical
Company Ltd and is the Director of Southampton Innovation Ltd (Southampton University)
and the Strategy Board of the BAE Systems Ltd Virtual University.
From 1990 to 1998, Sir John was Chairman of Rothschild Ventures Ltd,
and Director of Oxford Instruments.
From 1986 to 1991 he was the Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Cabinet Office
for Margaret Thatcher's government, and was previously Chairman of IBM UK
Laboratories, where he was closely involved in the establishment of IBM's
joint venture with Toshiba aimed at LCD manufacture.
If you have any views of the study or wish to submit comments, these can be e-mailed
to the DTI at construction.research@dti.gov.uk
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Last
Updated:
21 January 2003
