Innovation in the built environment is crucial for addressing the complex challenges of our rapidly changing world. It drives the development of sustainable, resilient, and efficient solutions whilst minimising the environmental impact. From smart cities and green buildings to advanced materials and construction techniques, innovation enables the creation of structures and systems that are more adaptable, energy-efficient, and user-friendly.
Like most of the country, I have been cheering on Great Britain at the Olympics over the last few weeks and have been impressed by the extraordinary determination and relentless hard work of athletes from around the world. Something that’s not talked about as often though is the impressive and complex infrastructure that sits behind the games.
The Olympic Village represents a pinnacle of urban innovation, designed to meet the needs of thousands of elite athletes from diverse backgrounds. Its unique structure is built on principles of sustainability, efficiency, and adaptability with large proportions prefabricated offsite.
We may not have worked on the Olympics this time around, but these principles are paramount to our innovation strategy at SES and are instilled across all of our projects regardless of size or sector. Our in-house offsite manufacturing facility is a huge part of how we drive customised solutions for our customers.
Offsite manufacturing is revolutionising the built environment, changing how buildings are conceived, designed, and realised. By leveraging cutting edge & digital technologies, it is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. These advancements enable the creation of complex, and often bespoke solutions with unprecedented precision and speed, reducing environmental impact and improving quality control. We are leading the way at our 6,000m2 offsite manufacturing facility, taking over ¼ million hours offsite each year and producing prefabricated products for projects across the country.
Our forward-thinking approach has been recognised by the Offsite Awards and we have been shortlisted in two categories; Best Use of MEP / POD Technology at the gigafactory for AESC UK and Education Project of the Year at the Life and Mind Building (LaMB) for the University of Oxford.
The gigafactory for AESC UK has set a new benchmark for the future of large-scale projects, showcasing the very best of MMC and offsite manufacturing principles including setting up a ‘pop up’ factory closer to site. In many aspects it has delivered a series of industry ‘firsts’ – something to be proud of.
The scheme at LaMB seamlessly blends technology with in-house expertise to provide a personalised, smart solution for the University of Oxford and includes the largest modular plant room SES has built to date – a great accolade.
Innovation is talked about a lot in our industry but what does it really mean? For me, it’s about creating a culture where we can transform ideas into solutions, be disruptors and drive business growth and diversification. SES has some of the best experts in the industry and by working together we can reimagine how we deliver our services to better meet the growing demands of our customers. I am confident we will have many more achievements to celebrate as we continue our innovation journey. Exciting times ahead!
Rob Clifford, Executive Managing Director, SES
