With a strong focus on sustainability at this year’s UK Construction Week Birmingham show (NEC, October 1st to 3rd), the organisers has announced a brand new Net Zero Trail which will highlight the latest eco innovations and ideas driving the construction industry towards a net zero future, which visitors can seek out across the UKCW show floor.

The new trail will guide visitors through the show to exhibitors including JCB, Niftylift, Celsa Steel UK, Fischer Future Heat and Makita, who are championing cutting-edge technologies, materials and solutions that are paving the way for the construction industry’s transition to net zero emissions. 

Also making its first appearance at the show is the Net Zero Hub. Sponsored by Reconomy, the new show area will be partnering with National Retrofit Hub, a non-profit collaborative organisation working with the industry to enable the delivery of housing retrofit across the UK, which has curated the entire seminar programme on Day Two (Wednesday October 2nd). 

Talks at the Net Zero Hub include:

• Better Together: Harnessing Purpose and Partnerships to drive a more circular Construction Sector (October 1st – 11.15am) – Join Balfour Beatty and Reconomy as they explore how resource efficiency and collaboration can serve as a powerful lever for creating social value within the construction sector. It will explore the importance of fostering partnerships to drive forward a shared purpose, and how we can use our collective efforts to enable the circular economy through more sustainable resource management practices. Join Balfour Beatty and Reconomy as they reveal how this integrated approach enabled them to not only reduce waste and improve efficiency but also to contribute positively to the communities they serve, as well as drive employee engagement in social value projects. 

• Turning the Tide: Innovative Solutions to the UK's Water Scarcity Challenge (October 1st, 10.15am) - Dr Neil Sewell, Lead - Water Reuse at SDS, discusses pioneering effective water recycling and harvesting solutions, such as the Intellistorm® system, implemented in key projects like Barratt Developments' ‘Z House’ and the University of Suffolk's ‘Smart House’.

• A Decade of Success: Collaborative achievements integrating green and blue infrastructure (October 1st, 2.15pm) - Helen Nyul, Biodiversity and Ecology Policy Lead, Barratt Homes, and Beccy Speight, Managing Director, RSPB, Exploring the fruitful 10-year partnership that has transformed Kingsbrook, showcasing their collaborative efforts and achievements. 

• Iconic buildings: Sustainable projects of the year (October 3rd, 3.15pm) - A panel including Richard Hawkins, Technical Innovations Manager at SO Modular, and Matt Hayes, Co-founder and Director, Arbor Architects, discuss their pick of the most sustainable construction projects from the last year. 

Jamie Roberts, Divisional Director for Construction, Housing and Infrastructure at Reconomy Commented –

“We’re delighted to be sponsoring the Net Zero Hub this year and bring a fantastic range of content to the show. It’s been a challenging year for the construction and housebuilding sector, but it’s encouraging to have so many businesses approaching us and looking for ways to operate more sustainably. That’s why the Net Zero Hub is so crucial to this year’s show.” 

“Visitors can expect to gain valuable insights from the likes of Balfour Beatty on how they’re driving a more circular construction sector, and also hear from Reconomy’s Head of External Affairs on upcoming legislation that will impact all of us.” 

After being officially opened by architect and Channel 4 presenter, George Clarke, the show will open up to opportunities to meet with innovative exhibitors, attend expert-led seminars, experience live demonstrations and get involved in interactive learnings across the show’s other main hubs, which include: 

• Digital Construction Hub

• Live Demo Theatre 

• Infrastructure Live 

• Build X 

• Culture Change Hub 

Sam Patel, Divisional Director – Construction, commented:

“Our new Net Zero Trail will highlight the steps that the UK construction industry is taking to contribute towards a greener future - essential to not only conform to government legislation and targets, but also to be competitive with their international counterparts.”

UKCW has also announced a newly launched VIP ticket for the Birmingham show, which gives visitors not only VIP parking close to the show halls, but entry into the VIP Lounge and complimentary refreshments - ideal for one-to-one networking and meetings away from the busy show floor. The one-day passes are available for a limited time price of £99. 

With this year’s theme of ‘Growth’, UKCW Birmingham will examine a wide range of topics over three days of insight, innovation and inspiration across its number of hubs and areas. 

To find out more about the Net Zero Trail, visit https://www.ukconstructionweek.com/ukcw-net-zero-trail 

To find out more and register for UKCW Birmingham for free, visit https://ukcw-birmingham-2024.reg.buzz/cabpr