Artificial Intelligence - infrastructure's salvation?

What better way to round off The Infrastructure Podcast’s 2024 than with a special two-part interview with infrastructure legend Sir John Armitt, Chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission! Part 1 is now live at here and on Apple, Spotify and all your favourite podcast hosts. Part two will follow just before Christmas. Sir John steps down from the NIC in the Spring after nearly seven years as chairman and as the organisation joins with the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) to form NISTA – the all-new National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority. To be honest, having known Sir John for more than a couple of decades, I always find a conversation with him to be both an education and a privilege. His clarity of thinking and depth of knowledge across a vast range of sectors is captivating and a real pleasure to witness. As is his passion for ensuring that infrastructure truly acts as a catalyst for improving lives and creating a better world – he is the modern-day exponent of Tredgold’s ambition for “directing the great sources of power in nature”; the genuine expert voice of experience, calm and common sense. The podcast is an opportunity for him to discuss the challenges that face NISTA as the UK attempts to accelerate investment in the vital infrastructure needed to drive economic growth, adapt to a changing climate and improve the lives of communities. And it also presents an moment to reflect on the successes and work still to do since Sir John helped bring the NIC to life in 2015. The issue is hot! Barely a day goes by without a new announcement it seems. I sat down with Sir John just before Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer announced his “measurable milestone” to fast-track planning decisions on at least 150 major economic infrastructure and couple of days before Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner announced plans to accelerate planning decisions on housing. As he points out, infrastructure is an exciting and fast moving place right now as the government presses hard to accelerate delivery of its £40bn plus pipeline of ambition. So enjoy part 1 of this conversation as Sir John sets out his thinking on infrastructure strategy, planning reform, boosting productivity and turning policy into consistent delivery. I think you’ll gain some interesting take-aways – I certainly did! Enjoy the episode.

You may have noticed that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer highlighted the “measurable milestone” to fast-track planning decisions on at least 150 major economic infrastructure projects in his latest "plan for change" last week. You may also have been scratching you head wondering how that might actually be achievable. Well as luck would have it, I sat down a couple of days earlier to record this week’s episode of The Infrastructure Podcast with UK infrastructure planning guru Robbie Owen, partner and head of infrastructure planning and government affairs at law firm Pinsent Masons . Robbie makes a great case for reform – certainly action – if we are to get anywhere near these milestones! Have a listen here In particular, we discuss the recommendations of the recent Banner Review into the Judicial Review process that has for too long bedevilled the progress of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects and the likely impact and opportunities of the forthcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill becoming law (some time in 2025 probably?!). And as we move towards 2025 we also chew over the likely impact of the merger of the National Infrastructure Commission with the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) to create the new NISTA – the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority – and of course the reality of a promised ten-year infrastructure strategy. We cover a lot of ground. It’s vitally important stuff and Robbie certainly, as always, brings it to life. So enjoy the episode.

Courage. The word came up rather a lot when I met Hannah Pathak, international managing director at Forum for the Future at the recent FM Conway Ltd Collaborative Sustainability event at which she was the keynote speaker. Hannah made a powerful impression on those in the room and underlined that when it comes to tackling climate change and achieving our net-zero emissions goals, the decisions we make in this decade will affect the trajectory of the next century. We are at a critical “choice point” for humanity facing decisions that are not easy – so, as she put it, we need the courage to transform; together, collaboratively. Hannah is my guest on The Infrastructure Podcast is and a long-standing champion for driving action across business to help accelerate the change needed to transform our approach to sustainable infrastructure. Have a listen at here - Hannah explains the challenges and opportunities so clearly. Certainly we need to apply our technical minds but, as Hannah pointed out at the FM Conway Ltd event, the Latin root of the word “courage” links it to the idea of “heart” and passion for a cause. True change, especially in the face of climate change, requires not only intellectual and technical understanding but also emotional investment. Ultimately it just makes good sense for investment in our infrastructure to generate more sustainable economic, social and environmental outcomes. And that usually means thinking harder rather than working harder. But is also means having the courage and passion to do thing differently. And that’s not easy. Enjoy the episode. Hannah is an inspiration for sure.

I first met and interviewed this week's guest on The Infrastructure Podcast back in 2007 for a short article in New Civil Engineer about her “glittering career” as a graduate with Hyder Consulting - as it was then. Fabulous therefore to catch up again with Paula Gough, Buro Happold’s newly installed UK Development Director for Infrastructure and to hear about her career progression from Hyder then Arcadis after the takeover then into contracting with Costain and back into consultancy with Buro Happold. Have a listen here : It was really interesting to hear how Paula’s career was really shaped and influenced after entering and winning a House of Commons SET award for her research project while at University of Surrey and being thrust into the limelight in front of senior politicians and industry grandees at the Parliamentary reception that followed. Which of course got me thinking about the recent podcast with Alison Watson MBE and the Class Of Your Own “Design a Jamie Oliver restaurant” challenge and the similar impact that this had on the careers of John Haylett and Sam Boone, former Clacton Coastal Academy students eight years ago – inspiration really works! Well, as you’ll hear, it’s full steam ahead now for Paula as she attempts to build on the legacy of the great Sir Ted Happold and bring “some exciting new thinking into the UK infrastructure market” en-route to delivering the government’s £40bn budget investment aspiration. No pressure there then! Enjoy the podcast! Oh.. and it’s also good to hear that Paula still enjoys an evening out at the Comedy Club and a sushi bento box with tuna for lunch!

I first met Jeremy Sweetland when he gave an opening address to the launch of the Building Centre’s New Homes in New Ways exhibition a couple of weeks ago. I knew I had to get him on The Infrastructure Podcast to share his thinking. Jez is founder of the Housing Festival and a passionate advocate for changing the way we deliver housing in the UK. Housing, he explained, is the very fabric of what combines us as a society and makes us human, underpinning our communities, well-being, health and resilience. But it needs, he said, a major rethink – “can we just be very, very clear; we're not talking about a tweak to a system.” Despite housing's vital importance, as a society and as an industry we are still currently working to support a failure. It’s episode 90 this week and one of the thing I’ve thing I loved about recording The Infrastructure Podcast each week is meeting new people in the infrastructure sector and being about to share their thinking and perspective. Jez is another brilliant guest. Have a listen HERE - it’s powerful stuff. Because yes, the government has plans to build 1.5 million homes in the next five years; yes, it has committed another £3.1bn to affordable housing in the budget; and yes, it has plans to reform planning. But decent, affordable housing is fundamental to life and too many people are being let down – are we really making it the priority it is deserves to be? And once you've listened, please also visit the Building Centre's #NewHomesInNewWays exhibition in Store Street, London.

It’s a high stakes interview on The Infrastructure Podcast this week as I chat about that challenges of leadership for women with Alex Oliver, executive coach, strategy consultant – and also my wife! Have a listen - it's here: I am biased, of course, but I think Alex is rather brilliant! So sitting down for half an hour to record the podcast and to really find out about what she is up to with her work to help women (and men) truly understand how to be better leaders and really discover their best selves was a genuine thrill, an absolute pleasure and, yes,(!) really interesting. It’s a very important topic and I hope you find it a useful listen. Alex has just launched “She Leads; Step Into Your Value” her new programme that takes female leaders on, as she puts it, “a journey of self-discovery and growth” that explores leadership and what it might mean for each participant. It is a recognition that overcoming the challenges of leadership comes first from within but is best tackled with support from others. We cover a huge amount of ground – and, to be honest, 30 minutes is not enough time to cover the depth of the issues raised. Leadership in infrastructure is hard. But for women in particular, the challenges are acute, stemming from the continuing lack of gender diversity in the sector, exacerbated by traditional leadership cultures, and underpinned by a failure to appreciate the specific blockers and barriers faced by women in infrastructure. But it’s a hot topic and comes in a week that the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) is hosting its own Female Leadership seminar tomorrow. And while She Leads is specifically targeted at women, I hope that this podcast helps everyone to identify the challenges you face as leaders and inspires you to take action to tackle them.

As the dust settles on Labour’s first Budget for 14 years and we digest the potential impact of such large tax and spending plans, it is clear that infrastructure investment must play a key role in driving the vital growth needed to make the sums add up. But can the sector deliver? Precisely the question I asked Hannah Vickers, Global Head of Advisory at construction and consulting giant Mace on The Infrastructure Podcast this week. Having worked in project delivery at the Environment Agency, at the HM Treasury, in government relations with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and Association for Consultancy and Engineering, the Construction Leadership Council and now at one of the UK most forward thinking construction businesses, she’s knows a thing or two! Have a listen - here where we chew over a range of post Budget issues such as: 💰 can a £40bn infrastructure spend actually be delivered and boost economic growth by 1.4%? 💰 is a £3.1bn investment in affordable housing enough to meet the government’s 1.5M new homes target. 💰 can more promises for schemes like Trans-Pennine Express, East West Rail, and HS2 move the UK transport dial? 💰 what's the role for modern methods of construction when it comes to transforming out schools and hospital buildings? 💰 is now the moment for a return to the Private Finance Initiative? 💰 do infrastructure professionals have the right entrepreneurial approach needed to improve productivity and meet out net-zero ambitions? Huge challenges ahead – but no shortage of opportunities. That makes it exciting – Hannah certainly thinks so.

Full disclosure – I really love a bit of 3D visualisation, immersive tech that puts you up close and personal with infrastructure! And I have to say that Bentley Systems ’ new i-Lab experience was pretty mind-blowing when it was demonstrated to me at the recent Year in Infrastructure event in Vancouver! So buckle up! My guest this week on The Infrastructure Podcast is Bentley Systems Vice President for Emerging Technologies Greg Demchak . He gave me that guided tour of the extraordinary jaw dropping visualisation tech on show in the i-Lab the other week - and then sat down with me to try to create an audio picture of how this technology is set to impact the sector. A tough brief - seeing is, after all, believing - but I think Greg delivers! Have a listen at here or wherever you normally listen to your podcasts. As you can probably tell from the recording, I’m pretty excited about this tech and the possibilities it brings! Enjoy this episode! There is no question that this tech, coupled with AI tools and the ability to collect – and use - more and more data from the design, construction and operation of our existing and planned infrastructure, is truly set to transform the sector. And probably blow you mind along the way! But frankly, I’m pretty excited by the prospect of what’s ahead!

Recorded live at Jamie Oliver’s new restaurant in Covent Garden, London during the launch of the new “Design a Jamie Oliver Restaurant” schools design programme organised by Class Of Your Own and Jamie Oliver Restaurants.