Category: Insights
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Making good decisions on infrastructure
Recently the Institute for Government published the final report of its year-long programme of work into infrastructure planning and policy, How to transform infrastructure decision making in the UK. It’s only 25 pages long (something the NIC could definitely learn from!) and worth a read, as are the IfG’s five previous reports on infrastructure, though...
Infrastructure for thriving cities
Major new investment in public transport networks is needed for our cities to thrive. This is one of the top priorities for the UK’s first ever National Infrastructure Assessment. Cities are critically important for the UK’s economy and society. 60% of jobs and 74% of service exports come from cities, while urban centres are also...
Preparing for driverless cars
We are so familiar with the UK’s roads and motorways that we rarely think about how they are designed, how they operate, or how they are controlled. But with the introduction of driverless vehicles, this will need to change. This new technology could have as great an impact as the transition from stagecoach to car...
A chance to design the Roads for the Future
While sales of diesel cars may be falling as drivers switch to petrol, and the numbers of electric cars being bought are increasing, manufacturers are turning their collective attention to the next technology set to hit the UK’s roads: driverless cars. Once the preserve of sci-fi films, companies from Tesla to Toyota are now investing...
Securing a connected future by improving mobile services
Along with a wallet and keys, the mobile phone is an item we rarely, if ever, leave the house without. This technology has become an integral part of everyday life, with Ofcom figures suggesting that by the first quarter of this year, 94 per cent of adults in the UK personally owned or used a...
Making the most of the UK’s infrastructure through new technology
Whether it’s bridges, canals, railways or roads, much of what we use today can be traced back to pioneering British engineers such as Brunel and Telford. But visionary though they were, they could not have predicted the demands that the user of the 21st century places on our infrastructure . As our interim National Infrastructure...
Leading the way in new technologies: the potential for a ‘digital twin’
Data for the public good is the culmination of many months of examining the very latest technologies, what could be achieved if they were applied to our infrastructure network, and what we need to do to make the most of the opportunities they offer. It is a crucial area for an organisation like the National...
Creating a sense of place
The arc encompassing Cambridge, Milton Keynes and Oxford is one of the most economically productive in the country, contributing some £90billion a year to the national economy. But this success cannot be taken for granted, and to secure its future better transport links and far more homes are needed – creating whole new communities in...
Infrastructure resilience in a digital age
Infrastructure, like every other part of the economy, is experiencing the impact of the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ created by advances in data, digital systems and artificial intelligence. Clients, government agencies, industry bodies and academics are beginning to understand and embrace how these technologies will change everything from the way we work together, to the way...
Freight fit for the future
Be it food from a local supermarket, a present from a friend, or raw materials for making products, businesses and consumers both rely on goods being where they need them, when they need them. Businesses lose money without it. Consumers lose choice. Without doubt, freight is essential to the operation of our lives and our...
Budget 2017: A significant opportunity to improve UK infrastructure
Today’s Budget includes a raft of measures to improve our infrastructure network, from new homes to improved transport and efforts to ensure we keep up with the latest technological advances. These are all incredibly important to securing economic growth, and improving the lives of communities up and down the country. But to make the most...
Offering a bold vision for the future of the Arc
Knowledge corridor. Silicon arc. Brain belt. The National Infrastructure Commission has hit the headlines with its bold vision of how Britain’s economic prosperity over the next quarter of a century could be propelled by the new technologies which are booming across the Oxford to Cambridge corridor. The Commission’s report makes compelling reading for everyone who...
Securing a truly exceptional economic contribution
I welcome the National Infrastructure Commission’s report. East-West Rail and the Cambridge-Oxford expressway can transform the economic potential of the Cambridge-Oxford corridor bringing forward one million new homes by 2050. As the report makes clear, the amount the corridor generates for the national economy could increase from £90 billion per year to £250 billion. This...
Maintaining the UK’s lead in AI technology
The UK is a world-leader in the development of artificial intelligence technology. Our record is such that, even when our home-grown companies have been bought by foreign investors, they have often retained the staff and presence right here in this country – for example the AI company, Deepmind, was purchased by Google, but retains its...
An award-winning pier for the whole community
Winning the Stirling Prize is like receiving the best picture Oscar, so excuse me while I do the important bit first: thank you, Hastings, for giving us the chance to work on what is a career-defining project, and for being such a wonderful, resourceful and interesting client – or in this instance, clients. It’s 23...