By Stuart Fleming, director at Will Rudd, Edinburgh
THIS year marks 25 years since I joined Will Rudd. It will also be my first time attending UKREiiF – the UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum, which brings together investors, developers, policymakers, local authorities and the wider built environment sector to discuss where capital, policy and opportunity are heading across the UK.
Those two facts might seem slightly at odds. After all, when you’ve spent a quarter of a century in one business, forging long-standing relationships across the built environment, it would be easy to question whether another major industry event really adds value. My view is that it matters now more than ever.
Reflecting on the changes in the industry over my 25 years in it, things have evolved in many ways. Not just technologically or commercially, but also culturally. The industry I entered was defined by a work hard, play hard mentality. Long hours were worn as a badge of honour, resilience was quietly expected, and burnout was rarely acknowledged. Today, the culture is healthier, more inclusive and more purposeful. Diversity has improved. Open conversations around wellbeing, support and development are not just accepted, they are essential.
What that evolution has reinforced for me is the importance of staying curious. Experience is only valuable if it is combined with an openness to change, and a willingness to listen to perspectives that are different from your own. That mindset is one of the reasons I wanted to attend UKREiiF in person this year.
The real estate and infrastructure landscape is moving quickly. Investment priorities are shifting. New asset classes are emerging. Policy, politics and economics are shaping decision-making in very real ways. Events like UKREiiF provide an opportunity to step back from day-to-day delivery and properly engage with those broader movements.
For me, UKREiiF is fundamentally about people and the chance to reconnect with colleagues, meet new voices from across the sector and exchange ideas in a relaxed but focused environment.
It also matters because strategy matters. As a company director, part of my role is to ensure that Will Rudd is well positioned for what lies ahead. Understanding where capital is flowing, which sectors are growing, and where constraints are likely to bite, allows us to plan properly, invest wisely and support our clients more effectively. The intelligence that comes out of conferences like UKREiiF helps inform those decisions.
Recent discussions at the Scottish Property Federation conference reinforced both the opportunity and the frustration currently present in Scotland’s property and construction markets. There is enormous potential here, underpinned by our renewable resources, trusted institutions and strategic industries. But that optimism is often tempered by policy uncertainty and slow progress on issues like housing delivery, which is increasingly affecting viability and confidence.
From an engineering perspective, the opportunities are significant: renewables infrastructure, data centres, repurposing existing buildings, and supporting new and evolving sectors. At the same time, challenges around cost, decarbonisation, AI adoption and skills development remain pressing. Navigating that balance will define the industry over the coming years.
Attending UKREiiF for the first time, even at this stage of my career, feels like a natural extension of staying engaged, informed and relevant. Longevity should never lead to complacency. If anything, it brings a responsibility to keep learning, to challenge assumptions, and to ensure that experience is used to support the next generation coming through the profession.
As Will Rudd continues to evolve, our focus remains on curiosity, collaboration and delivering thoughtful, efficient engineering solutions to complex problems. UKREiiF offers a timely opportunity to listen, reflect and contribute to those conversations, and I’m looking forward to being part of it.
