Construct Innovate unveils its first 35 member companies as the University of Galway launches a new Postgraduate Diploma in Construction Innovation.
Construct Innovate, Ireland’s national research centre for construction technology and innovation hosted at the University of Galway, has announced Technological University Dublin as a new academic member and 35 companies as the first associate members
Member companies will be supported by academic researchers and empowered to take ownership of the research, development and innovation activities required for their continued progression.
Construct Innovate provides access to a knowledge, business and innovation ecosystem to comprehensively deliver a broad agenda of strong innovation, engagement, excellence and impact in the Irish construction and built environment sector.
Dr Magdalena Hajdukiewicz, Co-Director, Construct Innovate, commented: “Construct Innovate was founded just over a year ago with our official launch in December 2022, and six months later, it is very exciting to see the growing network of Construct Innovate. We are designing Construct Innovate to be inclusive for all stakeholders in the Irish construction and built environment sector, which builds on its current capacity and accelerates research and innovation.”
New Construct Innovate members
The first 35 Construct Innovate member companies are Arup, BDP Ireland, Burlington Engineering, Cairn Homes, CPAC Modular, DBFL Consulting Engineers, D/RES Properties, Ecocem Ireland, Ecological Building Systems, Future Planet, Geoscience Ireland, G-Frame Structures Ltd, Glenveagh Properties PLC, GLF Facades Specialists, Henry J Lyons, HTL tech, IN2, Inspired Innovation, Kore Insulation, KRA, LMC Group, PM Group, Retrokit, RKD, RPS Group, Sheridan Woods Architects & Urban Planners, John Sisk & Son, Stewart Construction, Scott Tallon Walker Architects, Tempo Housing, ToGather Homes, Unlin Insulation, Velux and Ward & Burke.
The announcement of the growing membership of Construct Innovate follows an academic industry meeting day (AIMday), the first networking and workshop event where members posed business challenges and sought new knowledge and solutions through workshops with multi-disciplinary groups of academic research experts.
As a result, the first research themes have been identified, with working groups now being formed around these themes that include research and industry partners. The research programme of Construct Innovate will be driven by those multi-disciplinary and intersectoral working groups to ensure research is focused on industry needs.
Colm McHugh, Centre Manager, Construct Innovate, said: “Seeing the positivity and engagement that our industry members and academics brought to the first AIMday was very encouraging. It demonstrated the scale of the issues that industry faces in transitioning to a more modern, productive and sustainable sector, but also the appetite and energy that is being brought by stakeholders to overcome these challenges. Construct Innovate will work to continuously facilitate vital research to assist our industry in this process.”
Postgraduate Diploma in Construction Innovation
To coincide with the announcement of growing membership of Construct Innovate, the University of Galway has launched a new Postgraduate Diploma in Construction Innovation, which starts in September 2023.
Professor Jamie Goggins said, “The Postgraduate Diploma in Construction Innovation was developed in response to critical and proven skills needs in the construction and built environment sector. It is a one-year, part-time programme that aims to equip students with key knowledge and skills needed to develop sustainable technological solutions to the challenges facing the construction and built environment sector in Ireland and elsewhere.”
The course is funded through the Government’s Human Capital Initiative to provide 90% funding towards fees, and fees are fully covered for those unemployed. The Postgraduate Diploma in Construction Innovation will enable prospective students to:
- Develop skills in digital adoption, sustainability and modern methods of construction (MMC)
- Develop critical thinking, curiosity and problem solving to manage the innovation process
- Identify opportunities (and challenges) for innovation in the construction sector
- Create novel construction technology solutions to previously unmet, under-met and unrecognised problems
- Continue their professional development to meet the future needs of the construction sector.
About Construct Innovate
Construct Innovate, Ireland’s national research centre for construction technology and innovation, is the newest addition to Enterprise Ireland’s industry-led Technology Centres programme. It was launched by the then Tánaiste Leo Varadkar T.D. in December 2022 with initial funding of €5M over five years. Hosted at the University of Galway, the centre leverages the capabilities, facilities and high levels of expertise available across the consortium partners of Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, University College Cork and the Irish Green Building Council.
