The real danger to U.K. construction isn’t that AI will replace people—it’s that poor design and lost expertise are costing billions before a single brick is laid. Mark Snell, Technical Director at Dalkia UK and a driving force at the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), explains why AI, regulatory change, and workforce shifts aren’t threats—they’re the tools to fix a system already under strain. From turning “lessons identified” into actual lessons learned to capturing the knowledge walking out the door, Snell makes the case that the future of the industry depends on confronting its design flaws now—before they become irreversible.

We call it “strategy,” but what if that word has lost its meaning in construction? Helen Gawor breaks down why construction strategies fail—and what real strategy looks like when it inspires your people, not just your boardroom. She calls out the industry’s addiction to lagging indicators, the dangers of blame culture, and why a "no bad news" mindset kills performance. You want transformation? Start with psychological safety, kinesthetic learning, and a vision that inspires everyone to follow. If your strategy doesn’t change how people behave, it’s not a strategy—it’s theatre.

Futurist Nikolas Badminton challenges the industry to reimagine what’s possible when we move from “what is” to “what if.” He introduces the Four Futures reshaping construction: Design, Decision-Making, Productivity, and Workforce. These aren’t predictions—they’re invitations to explore how augmented intelligence, global labor shifts, and a renewed sense of purpose are already changing how we build. This is a conversation about transformation at scale—and what it takes to become the kind of leader the future demands.

Key Takeaways



• Futures-thinking unlocks competitive advantage in design, delivery, and leadership.
• AI isn’t a replacement—it’s a force multiplier for human creativity and decision-making.
• The future belongs to builders who ask “what if?”—and act before disruption forces change.

Everyone says construction needs to innovate—but no one agrees on who’s actually responsible for making it happen. Is it the owner? The builders? The tech vendor? Or is innovation everyone’s job—and therefore no one’s?

In this episode, Amy Marks, SVP of Innovation at Compass Datacenters, breaks down why innovation in construction gets stuck and what it really takes to move the needle. We dig into how clearer ownership, aligned incentives, and smarter procurement models could shift innovation from a buzzword to a business driver.

Key Takeaways

• Why innovation dies in the space between stakeholders—and how to fix it
• How Compass creates a culture of innovation around AI, prefab, and digital transformation
• What happens when innovation is treated as a strategic asset

In a market where cost, speed, and quality are table stakes, owners are demanding more than projects delivered on time and on budget. They want trusted partners who bring strategy, intelligence, and collaboration to every phase. In this episode, Skanska's Regional Executive Officer, Anita Nelson, shares how owner–contractor relationships are evolving, why operating models must shift alongside strategy, and how data and AI can help projects advocate for themselves.

Everyone’s talking about AI in construction — but are we asking the harder questions: Who owns the intelligence AI creates? Whose data powers it? And what happens when AI is wrong?

In this episode of The Power of Construction, we look beyond the hype to explore what true data and AI readiness means for our industry. From subcontractor IP to data agreements, we unpack how governance, trust, and collaboration will shape construction’s digital future. Because the companies that lead on trust will lead the way forward.

In this episode of The Power of Construction, we explore how AI is reshaping not only construction but the way organizations everywhere think, decide, and lead. Joined by Fiona Wilhelm, Director of Artificial Intelligence at the Wilhelm Group, and Rochelle Tognetti, Co-founder of the Australian Centre for AI in Marketing and previous CMO of Deloitte, we explore the emotional, ethical, and operational challenges of how leaders integrate intelligent systems into human workflows.

From redefining C-suite skills and tackling “AI anxiety” to unlocking the strengths of neurodiverse talent, this conversation challenges leaders to look beyond the jobsite and ask not just what AI can do—but what it should do.

Behind every safety incident is a person — and behind that person is a story we rarely ask about. Were they already exhausted before they arrived on site? Did they skip breakfast to meet a deadline that was never realistic? Were they pushed to work faster than was safe?

In construction, working conditions that overlook human factors shape unsafe behaviours long before a mistake is made. Heathrow’s Jenny McLaughlin and Mates in Mind’s Samantha Downie make the case that under UK law, “safe” means safe in every sense: physical, mental, and emotional. If your practices drive fatigue, burnout, or poor mental health, you’re not just failing your people — you’re creating the unsafe conditions that lead directly to risk. This conversation reframes safety as more than compliance or PPE. It’s about designing systems, schedules, and cultures that protect the whole person — on and off the jobsite.

On paper, construction has never looked safer. In reality, mental health claims are rising, workers are disengaged and the compliance playbook is broken. Garry Mansfield, co-founder of Scratchie, argues the answer isn’t more rules—it’s rewiring incentives so teams want to work safely. In this episode, we unpack the concept of “zero harm”, explore the gamification of safety and reveal how recognition in microdoses creates positive psychological change on the jobsite.

Construction doesn’t need more tech for tech’s sake—it needs tech that helps people build. In this episode, Dustin Burns, SVP of Technology & Business Solutions at McCownGordon, shares how relying on best-in-class SaaS tools—not in-house development—helps his teams focus on what they do best: building.

We discuss how this approach reduces burnout, attracts next-gen talent, and scales with the business. It’s a real-world look at a key trend from Procore’s Future State of Construction report: to win the future workforce, you need the right tools in the hands of the right people.