MEET THE CHANGEMAKERS DRIVING CONSTRUCTION FORWARD AT UK CONSTRUCTION WEEK BIRMINGHAM 2026
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The construction industry is changing fast. From artificial intelligence and digitalisation to building safety, retrofit, sustainability and the skills challenge, businesses across the sector are being asked to rethink how they design, build and operate.
At UK Construction Week Birmingham 2026, the people leading that change will come together to tackle some of the biggest questions facing construction today.
Taking place at the NEC Birmingham from 29 September to 1 October 2026, this year's event will bring together industry leaders, innovators, policymakers and construction professionals for three days of insight, debate and practical learning.
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Introducing The Construction Reset
New for 2026, The Construction Reset will put the industry's most important challenges firmly in the spotlight.
Across three packed days, experts, innovators and changemakers will share their experience, ideas and practical solutions for creating a construction industry that can build better, build smarter and build responsibly.
The programme will go beyond identifying the challenges. Visitors will hear what's changing, what organisations are doing in response and, importantly, what they can take away and put into practice within their own businesses.
Hear from the people driving change
UK Construction Week Birmingham will welcome an extensive line-up of speakers representing contractors, consultants, professional bodies, technology businesses, government organisations and innovators from across the built environment.
Among the speakers joining the 2026 programme are Alison Kilby, Associate Director at Arup; Alison Nicholl, Head of Constructing Excellence at BRE; Colin Bell, Digital & Data Director at Kier; Dr Anastasia Mylona, Technical Director at CIBSE; Dr Bola Abisogun, Founder & CEO of CIC; and Carl Bairstow, Director of Operations at Efficiency North.
They will be joined by senior figures including Neil Evans, UK & Ireland Country Manager at GoodWe; Michael McLaughlin, Group Head of Social Value at IHC Recruitment Group; Paul Indinger, CEO of Building Radar; Tim Balcon, CEO of CITB; and Juliette Enser, Executive Director at the Competition and Markets Authority.
The technology and innovation community will also be strongly represented, with speakers including Nigel Banks, Technical Director at Octopus Energy; Hadeel Saadoon, Digital Construction Technical Lead at Catapult; Luke Rootham, Product Manager at Axter; and Lillian Ho, Associate Director at AECOM.
And that's just a snapshot. From major industry organisations and established construction businesses to emerging innovators and specialist experts, many more voices will be joining the conversation across the three days.
Five stages. Three days of big conversations.
The Construction Reset will bring the industry's biggest conversations together across five dedicated stages:
- Main Stage – leadership, policy and the future direction of the industry
- Digitalisation & AI Stage – AI, connected data and the technology transforming how we work
- Building Envelope Stage – retrofit, energy efficiency, healthy buildings and low-carbon solutions
- Building Safety & Occupational Safety Stage – competence, compliance, accountability and safer working cultures
- Futurebuild Innovation Stage – new products, technologies and thinking changing the way we build
From digital transformation and building safety to retrofit, sustainability, skills and productivity, the programme will explore the issues having the greatest impact on construction today and the opportunities that could shape its future.
Practical ideas for a changing industry
The challenges facing construction don't exist in isolation. Digital transformation affects productivity and skills. Retrofit is closely linked to sustainability, energy performance and competence. New technology creates opportunities while demanding new ways of working.
The Construction Reset brings these conversations together in one place.
Whether you're looking to understand how AI could affect your business, navigate the changing building safety landscape, improve building performance, tackle skills and productivity challenges or discover the latest innovations, the programme is designed to give you insight you can use.
It's an opportunity to hear directly from the people driving change, discover different perspectives from across the built environment and take practical ideas back to your projects, teams and business.
Three days. Five stages. One place to understand what comes next.
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