Shaping Tomorrows Built Environment: Driving Innovation Through Higher Education Engagement

The Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sectors are major contributors to the world’s economy. For example, in the UK alone this contribution exceeds £110 billion per annum. However, despite this significance, AEC has been continually criticised for high levels of fragmentation, poor productivity and efficiency, and general lack of innovation. This is stark contrast to (seemingly) better performing industrial sectors in aerospace, pharmaceutical and oil and gas. Consequently, this has impacted on skills, and more importantly, the attraction and retention of talent (intellectual capital). Cognisant of these challenges, this paper evaluates these areas of contention through the research lens of the AEC sector; where three specific exemplars of these higher performing industries are evaluated through existing strategic partnerships/alliances. The formative rationale of this approach establishes the underpinning rubrics needed for a translational engagement model to meet AEC/Higher Education Institutions (HEI) needs. From a research methodological perspective, this paper evaluates extant literature and presents three successful non-cognate strategic partnerships with HEI’s. Research findings are presented through a conceptual model which outlines principal patterns of engagement covering: i) the knowledge creation cycle, ii) the interface of academia and industry, iii) shared synergies iv) core challenges, and v) tangible engagement opportunities. This forms part of wider research on strategically embedding innovation within AEC processes to leverage/nurture sector improvements.