BUILT Environment – Smarter Transformation (BE-ST) is celebrating its 10th anniversary as Scotland’s national innovation centre for construction and the built environment.
Launched in 2014 by the Scottish Funding Council and the Scottish Government, the organisation marked the milestone with an event held last week where the contributions of colleagues, collaborators, and stakeholders were celebrated.
Attendees spoke about the things they’ve learned, the connections made, and the impact created. It’s been a time to look back with pride and forward with excitement.
Since its launch, BE-ST has grown into a hub for innovation, collaboration, and transformation. Over the past decade, it has worked with stakeholders and partners to deliver over 565 projects, help generate £1.8 billion in additional revenue, create 5,286 jobs, and upskill nearly 7,000 people. It has also supported the introduction of 646 new products and services to the market.
The impact goes beyond just numbers – with it making ‘significant’ progress in mass timber manufacturing, including our focus on mainstreaming homegrown mass timber, and on increasing awareness and competency in retrofit and energy efficiency. Meanwhile, BE-ST Fest has become a key date in the sector calendar, drawing over 1,500 attendees ready to make connections across the sector and focus on how we come together to achieve a net-zero carbon built environment.
Looking forward, the organisation said its mission is still as ‘clear and urgent as ever’, with the opening of Scotland’s National Retrofit Centre earlier this year and embarking on its journey to deep retrofit the A Lab building at its campus, demonstrate our commitment to creating the platforms the sector needs to accelerate its transition to net-zero carbon.
2024 also marks a new phase of infrastructure investment for BE-ST, ensuring its long-term ability to support the sector and confront the pressing issues facing the construction industry. It added that it also remains committed to working with the Scottish Funding Council and our host university, Edinburgh Napier University, to create transformational collaborations between universities, colleges, and the public and private sector.
Stephen Good, CEO at BE-ST, said, “While businesses and governments around the world deliberate about the challenges of decarbonising our built environment, BE-ST remains focused on supporting those who understand that we need to act now, with pace, and at scale.
“Innovation is never straightforward, but we’ve built a team that thrives on finding solutions, challenging the status quo, and collaborating across sectors. We believe in leading from the front, taking risks, learning from our mistakes, and trying again. The next decade will bring no shortage of challenges, but driven by our mission, values, and the incredible team at BE-ST, we’re only just getting started.”
