At Keltbray, innovation is an area we take very seriously, so when we heard that it was the theme at this year’s UK Construction Week we knew we had to attend.

The event is described as the UK’s largest built environment bringing together professionals across a range of sectors within the industry, and having spent some time there we can certainly attest to that.

The show consisted of multiple sections: Build, Building Tech, Civils, Energy & HVAC, Surface & Materials and Timber. Over the course of the three day event, around 35,000 people were in attendance which makes it the place to be to build connections and be inspired by like-minded people. There were talks and seminars from the likes of Kier, Barratt Developments, Balfour Beatty, HS2, Clarion Housing Group, Heathrow Airport and many more.

Different zones and hubs showcased the latest technology and innovations, including a dedicated innovation zone, a wellbeing zone, a careers centre and a digital construction hub where guests could tune in to the speaker using wireless headphones.

Mental health and wellbeing was a big focus at the show this year, with many talks focussing on smashing the stigma surrounding mental health in the construction industry. We heard an interesting presentation from Ben Channon, architect and author of Happy By Design, on how we spend 90% of our time inside buildings so the built environment can have a significant impact on our wellbeing.

According to his talk, construction is now the deadliest UK industry to work in due to high suicide rates, so it’s important that mental health is acknowledged and those suffering are encouraged to talk about it. Health, safety and wellbeing is at the forefront of everything we do at Keltbray, so it was encouraging to see it being championed at the show.

Among the fantastic talks at the show was one from Keltbray’s own Claire Fundrey and Kiro Tamer who spoke at the Workplace Hub on Thursday about driving sustainability in the specialist construction sector. They included case studies such as water efficiency at Borough Yards and a fuel saving tournament we’re running for HGV drivers.

As Keltbray is a specialist and leader in the areas of innovation, health, safety and wellbeing and skills development, it was great to explore how the exhibition covered these areas. A lot of clever people are working hard to make this industry better and we’re proud to be a part of it.