The Infrastructure Podcast Antony Oliver

In today's podcast we ask how designing better infrastructure can help to really grow the UK economy. 


Now we hear constantly about the vital role that investment in infrastructure projects must play in driving economic growth across the nation and across the regions of the UK – be that investment in transport; in energy systems; in water treatment and supply; and in communications. 


And it is clear that without this investment the nation simply will not remain globally competitive; our living standards are likely to fall; and we will struggle to meet the decarbonisation challenge and to ensure we are resilient to climate change.


But what can actually be done by infrastructure professionals to accelerate this investment. How do we navigate the constantly shifting national and local government policy shifts; overcome the hold ups in planning; the delays in delivery and the delivery cost over runs ?. 


And once constructed, how do we avoid failing to create the kind of social, economic and environmental outcomes that were promised at the outset.


It’s a tough conundrum but one that an army of infrastructure design and planning professionals stand ready to solve – ready to leverage their collective skills and experience to design and deliver better infrastructure – infrastructure capable of truly kickstarting and sustaining the economy and of fundamentally making lives better. 


So what stopping them?!


To discuss this issue, my guest today is Charlie Hodgson, Executive Managing Director, Transport & Infrastructure, WSP, one of the largest consultancies in the UK. While Charlie is now responsible for the strategic direction and delivery of WSP’s infrastructure and engineering teams, he started his career as an economist so perhaps more than most really understands the links between investment and outcomes and what can be done strengthen them.

Resources
WSP website
National Infrastructure Commission 2023 Assessment
Transforming Infrastructure Performance

In today's podcast we are talking about digital twins and the challenge of digitalising the infrastructure sector in our bid to increase efficiency and boost outcomes from every pound of investment. 
There is certainly no shortage of talk nowadays about transforming productivity and the way that the use of digital technology and data can help improve the sector. And to date, the the focus has been largely on improving our design and delivery functions – using tools to draw, design, plan analyse, collaborate and share information more effectively.
But in truth, and ever since we embraced the mandared use of Building Information Modelling on public projects in 2016, we have known deep down, that the bigger prize lies in digitising and boosting performance of the whole infrastructure system while in operation. 
Which is where the use of digital twins comes in. Enabling us to connect the physical world with the digital world; generating insights that drive decisions and interventions to help improve performance in the real world. 
And creating a National Digital Twin could enable better management and integration across the entire - and varied - built and natural environment ecosystem – reducing cost, carbon and improving those vital outcomes for citizens. 
This bold concept was core to the work of the Cambridge University supported Centre for Digital Built Britain in 2017, which morphed into various other programmes when it closed its doors after 5 years in 2022. 
One of those initiatives is now known as the National Digital Twin Programmeand run under the Department for Business and Trade.
It is therefore my pleasure to be joined on the podcast today by Alex Luck, Head of the National Digital Twin Programme to update us on progress. 
Alex has been riding the digital wave throughout this time and so, I reckon will be well placed to explain where we have been, where we have got to and more importantly where she sees us heading in the future of infrastructure digitalisation.

Resources
The National Digital Twin Programme
Centre for Digital Built Britain legacy site
Data for Public Good
Transforming Infrastructure Performance
Building Information Modelling explained

In today's podcast we delve into the complex world or railway ticketing.
I say complex but what I really mean is complicated, confusing, and frustrating. Who hasn’t spent time pondering over the multitude of options thrust upon us when buying a rail ticket and mulled over the permutations and consequences of advanced, off peak, super off peak day return, open return…. 
Who hasn’t spent time on their journey wondering “is my ticket actually valid?”
Who hasn’t then wondered “why is buying a rail ticket so blooming difficult!?
Well, thankfully, the Railway Industry Association certainly has. In fact, its new report Destination: Revenue Growth highlights research finding that “complexity proved to be the biggest issue in train travel, with a fifth of travellers (20%) unable to find the cheapest ticket for their journey and 58% believing there are simply too many ticket options.”
It is an issue that the rail sector has to tackle if it is going to both entice more customers onto the railway and collect the revenue along the way.
Not least given that the future – the present actually - is one of digital no-ticketing. The digital world is already transforming ticketing in every part of the transport and service sector and frankly, rail has to get on board. Fast.
But how? Well joining me on the podcast today is Milda Manomaityte, Innovation Director at the Railway Industry Association and the co-author of this report. So I suppose, having been immersed in this knotty issue for quite some time, she should know the answer! Let’s hear!

Resources
Railway Industry Association website
RIA - Destination: Revenue Growth report
RIA - Data and Digital Technologies in Rail
Great British Railways Transition Team
Shapps-Williams review
Draft Rail Reform Bill

In this podcast  we ask what, if anything, UK construction can learn from the automotive sector.
A quarter of a century ago, Sir John Egan’s Review of the industry drew on the successes and lessons from car manufacturing as a guide for how the construction sector might be transformed. 
Rethinking Construction highlighted the use of standardisation, computer aided design, lean production methods, investment in innovation and technology, a focus on productivity, training and quality outcomes. All were designed to take the industry away from the era of bespoke one-off projects towards one of systemised improvement and better products.
And while there have certainly been some significant changes over the last 25 years -  for example, the mandated use of the Building Information Modelling on public project since 2016, or the much greater focus on training and safety across the sector,- 
But the reality is that we haven’t seen the kind of advances that were perhaps predicted and demanded as core to getting more and better outcomes for the vast amounts of public an private money invested each year.
Why not? Well many reasons but one argument is always that, unlike car manufacturing, construction always deals with bespoke unique products. Attempting to follow automotive’s example, we are told, is just not possible, practical or desirable.
So what’s the myth and what the reality. Can infrastructure still learn from automotive.?
Well to find out it is a huge pleasure to welcome Chetan Kotur to the podcast today. Chetun is Head of Technology and Innovation for Europe at Laing O’Rourke, arguably the most forward thinking contractor at work today. 
It’s a role that he has held for the last 18 months or so having spent the first 10 years of his already distinguished engineering career in the automotive sector with Volvo and most recently with the electric vehicle brand Polestar. So I suppose he should know!

Resources
Laing O'Rourke website
Hinkley Point C
Everton Stadium
Constructing the Team - Latham Review
Rethinking Construction - Egan Review
Polestar

In today’s podcast we will be finding out just how much we still have to do as nation and as a planet to hit our net zero carbon emission targets and really start to reverse the clearly catastrophic impacts of a changing climate.
My guest today is the Rt Hon Chris Skidmore, former MP for Kingswood in South Gloucestershire and the man who, as interim Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth in 2019, signed into law the UK’s legally binding target of hitting net zero emissions by 2050. 
He has held a number of government roles in his parliamentary career – notably Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation and then for Health under Boris Johnson, but returned to the backbenches in 2020.
It was from there that he authored the well-thumbed Mission Zero review of government's net-zero strategy – a hard hitting tome that it’s fair to say wasn’t entirely well received by those in charge of the strategy.
Chris resigned as an MP earlier this year in protest at the government’s stance on new offshore petroleum licensing. 
Nowadays he’s very busy championing the net-zero cause and missing few opportunities to get that vital message across

Resources
Mission Zero report
Better Earth’ initiative launched in Edie
Mission Zero Coalition
Building the Future, Lessons for a Buildings Breakthrough report

Today we are talking once again about building circular economies and in particular the role and challenge facing the infrastructure sector as it tackles this issue as part of the journey towards a net zero carbon emission future. 
My guest today has just been nominated for the prestigious Earthshot Prize – a prize launched by Prince William in 2020 to search for and scale the most innovative solutions to the world’s greatest environmental challenges.
John Twitchen is the founder of Stuff4Life, and has been nominated for his innovative work to tackle and reuse the vast amounts of waste polyester clothing that is typically burnt, landfilled or abandoned each year all around the world………..
Which is interesting but what’s that got to do with infrastructure? 
Well regular listeners will know that last July I talked to sustainability champion Mark Enzer on the podcast about many of the core concepts that inform the built environment’s transition to a circular economy.  Do check that out.
And as we discussed then, there are many definitions of circularity but one is about enabling people and nature to live and grow within our planet’s capacity to provide resources and handle waste.
That means getting the greatest possible value from materials, products, assets and systems already in use in the built environment. 
Which is a definition that certainly works for me today.   Stuff4Lifehas developed a new technique to deconstruct and recycle existing polyester clothes - such as those typically used to make the ubiquitous hi-viz workwear issued and discarded in construction sites – and he is now working to create a new range of work wear that is designed with reuse in mind - and is already being seen on railways and construction sites across the UK.
As his business mantra puts it, John is certainly living in a world of circular action not just words.

Resources
The Earthshot Prize
Stuff4Life
Env23 consultancy
Arco clothing
Team Mind BMX
Association for Consultation and Engagement Professionals