Are you in a small or medium sized firm working in or supplying construction? Are you interested in taking part in a conversation on reframing and reorganizing construction in these particularly challenging times? This webinar will provide insights on supply-chains, SME opportunities and skills, and how large companies work with and integrate SMEs in their supply network, with a view to improving regional SME capabilities for modular building. This is in the context of the Construction Leadership Council’s Roadmap to Recovery and based on tangible research findings,
This is especially timely now that we are entering the recovery phase in the sector, and the government are promoting plans to restart the construction industry. Through a mix of academic reflection, industry and policy insights, we will look at how we think about supply chains, particularly in relation to immediate challenges facing regional SMEs.
Draft Agenda
16:00 – 16:10 Setting the Scene – Professor Jennifer Whyte
16.10 – 16.30 Connecting Regional Policy and Practice
Introductory Talks (5 mins each + Q&A)
- Manufacturing approaches to construction and engaging the supply chain – Dr Chris Millard (Laing O’Rourke)
- The challenges of recovery for SMEs, skills and supply-chains in the Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire regions – Sajeeda Rose (D2N2)
Q&A
16.30-17.00 Learning from Practice
Introductory Talks (5 mins each + Q&A)
- How a major project engages with a regional supply chain, the Hinkley Point C example – Professor Jens Roehrich (University of Bath)
- Supply Chain Management and learning from manufacturing sectors – Professor Janet Godsell (University of Warwick)
- Opportunities to utilise advanced manufacturing techniques in modular construction to increase productivity, quality and value – James Illingworth (AMRC, Sheffield)
Q&A
17.00-17.20 Panel Discussion and Q&A
17.20-17.30 Closing remarks – Prof. Jennifer Whyte
The webinar is part of a project funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering Regional Engagement Award, which is aligned with Professor Jennifer Whyte’s Royal Academy of Engineering and Laing O’Rourke Chair in Systems Integration
The webinar is open to all. Click here to register.
To connect with us, or if you have questions about this event, contact Jeni Giambona on j.giambona@imperial.ac.uk
Speakers’ Bios
Professor Jan Godsell is a Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Strategy at WMG, University of Warwick. Her work focuses on the pursuit of more responsible consumption and production through the alignment of product, marketing and supply chain strategy with consumer needs. In particular Jan’s work focuses on the design of end-to-end supply chains to enable, responsibility, sustainability, flexibility and productivity. She leads the Supply Chain Research Group and the Supply Chains in Practice (SCIP) industrial collaborator forum. As a chartered engineer, Jan has more than two decades of combined industry experience in product development, innovation, supply chain strategy, and process improvement working for ICI, Astra Zeneca and Dyson. She has advised government and industry on supply chain strategy and its relationship to industrial and business strategy. She has served on numerous advisory boards. Jan is currently a member of the Made Smarter Expert Panel and Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund Advisory Groups for Manufacturing Made Smarter and Driving the Electric Revolution.
James Illingworth is the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC)’s Head of Construction Research and responsible for the delivery of all construction projects, where technology is being developed and translated from other high value manufacturing sectors such as aerospace and automotive. James studied Mechanical Systems Engineering at the University of Sheffield and has worked for 10 years across many manufacturing industries including plastics, aerospace and construction. He has extensive experience in the installation and commissioning of automation systems. He joined the AMRC in 2014 and has since led multidisciplinary teams to deliver projects developing robotics and automated processes for GE, GKN and Spirit AeroSystems. More recently he led the AMRC’s involvement in AMSCI with lead partner Laing O’Rourke, developing robotics, vision systems and pumping technology to enable off-site construction of modular homes. He’s passionate about innovation through technology to improve productivity, safety and quality securing the UKs position as a leader in construction and manufacturing.
Dr Chris Millard is Head of Engineering Excellence at Laing O’ Rourke. Chris has executive technical and business leadership experience across automotive, airports and construction sectors and focuses this to continue to ensure that Laing O’Rourke is a recognised leader for innovation and excellence in the construction sector. He leads the development of Laing O’Rourke’s innovative industrialised construction and Design for Manufacture and Assembly 70:60:30 (DfMA 70:60:30) capability through the company’s four factories, integrated logistics operations and product development. Following 20 years in the automotive industry, Chris pioneered the introduction of Systems Engineering into the construction of Heathrow Terminal, to ensure that the £4.3bn development ‘works, keeps working and stands the test of time.
Professor Jens Roehrich PhD FCIPS is the HPC Chair in Supply Chain Innovation and the Director of the HPC Supply Chain Innovation Lab (supplychainlab.org) at the University of Bath, School of Management, UK. Before joining Bath, Jens was a researcher at Imperial College London, UK. The HPC Supply Chain Innovation Lab is an exciting, long-term partnership between the University of Bath and EDF Energy to explore the set up and management of complex supply chains and projects. Jens has carried out funded research, consultancy, executive education and competence development activities with a wide range of public and private sector organisations such as Arup, Augusta Westland, EDF Energy, GKN, Environment Agency, NHS and Veolia. Significant strands of his research agenda explore, for instance, the management of long-term, complex projects and the management of public-private collaborations. He is currently exploring the role of SMEs in complex projects and how large buyers can better integrate SMEs in their supply chains.
Sajeeda Rose is the CEO of D2N2 LEP. Sajeeda joined the D2N2 LEP in November 2017, as Senior Manager for Growth Deals and Capital Programmes, and acted as Interim Deputy CEO before taking on the Interim CEO role in September 2018 and taking the role permanently in December 2018. Prior to joining D2N2, Sajeeda was Chief Operating Officer for the Northamptonshire LEP, where she was responsible for strategy development and delivery of all investment programmes by that LEP. She also worked for the former East Midlands Development Agency, supporting the delivery of sub-regional investment programmes.
Sajeeda has a BA (Hons) degree in Politics & Economic History from the University of Leicester. She is married with two children.
Professor Jennifer Whyte is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and is the Laing O’Rourke/Royal Academy of Engineering Professor of Systems Integration at Imperial College London. Her research is on systems integration, digital engineering and production systems linked to the construction and built environment sectors. She is co-Director of the Centre for Systems Engineering and Innovation. In the 20 years since her PhD at Loughborough University, Jennifer has held many research grants, published high-impact research papers, authored a book, and led multidisciplinary research teams. She was Shimizu Visiting Professor at Stanford in 2015. Jennifer is a member of the Transforming Construction Advisory Group and also a co-investigator on the Transforming Construction Network Plus. She also leads research on data-driven design in the Alan Turing Institute /Lloyds Register Foundation Data Centric Engineering Programme; and co-curates the World Economic Forum Engineering and Construction Transformation Map. She is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and a member of the EPSRC Engineering Strategic Advisory Team (SAT), and the Digital Framework Task Group (DFTG). Until recently, she was a member of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Industry Safety Steering Group.
