Publication
Housing for All - Innovation and Productivity
From Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Published on
Last updated on
The housing system needs to be placed on a long-term economically sustainable footing.
The Government and relevant State agencies are advancing methods to reduce residential construction costs, and support enhanced innovation and productivity in the sector.
Read the section of Housing for All on Achieving Economic Sustainability .
In the long-term, boosting construction sector productivity and innovation is essential for the delivery of high-quality, environmentally sustainable, and more affordable housing. This is particularly important for Ireland, as reports have shown that construction sector productivity here is relatively low compared to other countries. Innovation (the development and application of new ideas and technologies) is fundamental to boosting productivity and driving better outcomes in terms of products, processes, and services.
Under the Government’s Housing for All plan, toolkits that have been successfully used to boost productivity and innovation in our internationally facing sectors have been adapted to promote Irish construction sector transformation and performance. The Government has expanded the role of the enterprise agencies to support the domestic residential construction sector. In practical terms, this means that Irish homebuilders can now avail of Enterprise Ireland schemes and grant supports that have previously promoted innovation and productivity in internationally facing businesses, for example in the areas of digitalisation, application of Lean, and R&D. Enterprise Ireland has launched the Built to Innovate promotion and industry engagement campaign to drive awareness of these opportunities through the construction sector.
Construct Innovate is a new Construction Technology Centre hosted by a University of Galway led consortium, that was formally launched in December 2022. Funding of €5 million over five years has been allocated through Enterprise Ireland to the consortium, which also includes Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, and University College Cork, working with the Irish Green Building Council.
Construct Innovate, like the other eight Technology Centres currently in operation, is resourced by highly-qualified researchers, with expertise in digital adoption, modern methods of construction, sustainability, among other areas. The new Centre brings together 22 multidisciplinary research groups across the five partner institutions, with over 300 researchers. The work of Construct Innovate is organised under five pillars: Productivity; Affordability & Cost; Quality and Safety; Sustainability; Skills and Training; and Collaboration. The aim is to provide a unique environment for construction industry-academic collaboration in strategically important areas, with an initial prioritised focus on innovation in housing.
Construct Innovate will accelerate innovation adoption in the construction sector by allowing Irish construction companies to work together on market-focused strategic Research and Development projects, in collaboration with research institutions.
The Government’s Housing for All Action Plan Update articulates a critical need to enable a continuous and accelerated flow of compliant and high-quality innovations in construction, including modern methods of construction (MMC), particularly in residential construction. This is to ensure the delivery of Housing for All targets and the ongoing transformation of the construction sector. It also facilitates efforts to reduce the embodied carbon and lifecycle environmental impacts of construction.
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has developed a Roadmap for Increased Adoption of Modern Methods of Construction in Public Housing Delivery. This Roadmap recognises that the Government needs to lead by example in progressing the most advanced and efficient construction methods in the delivery of housing. In so doing it must also help to address the challenges that create barriers to entry for innovative solutions in housing delivery.
The recommendations identified in the Roadmap reflect the need for collective action across the construction ecosystem including public and private sector actors to create the conditions for MMC to thrive. A key measure to support the initiative is a programme of accelerated delivery being overseen by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, which will see over 1,500 new social homes commence construction during 2023 and 2024, utilising various MMC building systems. This agenda for action forms part of the continued work with the sector and with partners across Government, the private sector, academia and others to continue to find ways to deliver homes more efficiently, more sustainably and with lower cost.
A short introductory guide to Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) in housing has been prepared to provide information about MMC for the non-technical reader. The Guide includes a description of MMC types, such as panelised timber frame and steel systems, volumetric or modular systems and innovative construction methods used on site such as insulated concrete formwork. The guide is supported by illustrations of the various MMC building systems in situ.
Over many years, the presence of the most productive international firms in Ireland has generated positive spillovers in terms of innovation, talent development and competitiveness across the entire enterprise base. Housing for All tasks IDA Ireland with engaging specifically with international construction firms to encourage participation in the Irish market.
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and other relevant Government Departments, along with IDA Ireland have come together to create a robust and compelling pitch that the IDA is using in their ongoing engagements with international construction companies.