In today's fast-paced technological landscape, investing in innovation and research & development (R&D) have become crucial for organisations to stay competitive and relevant. Neil Bradley, Innovation Director for SES Engineering Services (SES) shares his thoughts on why this has become so important and how, as an industry, we can work in collaboration to deliver impactful change.

I started my career in engineering as a budding designer and over the years have witnessed the demise of the drawing board for computer aided design and the introduction in 2001 to a revolutionary new design platform called Revit. Who knew that over 20 years later, Building Information Modelling (BIM) would be so influential in our industry.

Innovation and R&D are the driving forces behind our success at SES. We recognise the significance of adopting new ways to maximise technical excellence, operational efficiency and develop market leading solutions. Working with my team of forward-thinking innovators, we are on a mission to revolutionise the industry and be the ‘change makers.’ 

By embracing new and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), generative design and machine learning we can automate operational tasks, provide consistent and measurable data to drive resource efficiency and facilitate the best value for our business, our customers and our partners. Machine learning algorithms enable data-driven decision-making, providing valuable operational insights and opportunities for optimisation.

Using cutting-edge digital reality capture and trialling the use of robotics to accurately collect project data, we can ensure better planning, safety, quality, and reporting, improving overall operational efficiency. As early adopters of this technology, SES are investing in the tools and expertise necessary to create market competitiveness and industry leadership. 

Technical excellence is the foundation upon which we have built our reputation as engineering experts. Our dedicated team of innovation specialists are continuously researching new ways of working to ensure our customers receive the highest quality service, elevated engineering solutions and projects that exceed expectations. We are always pushing to redefine the boundaries of what is possible and raising the standards for our business and the industry. 

By integrating our digital capabilities and gamification expertise, we can take our stakeholders on an immersive journey.  This approach rapidly develops how we design, prototype and test solutions and allows us to integrate 4D planning strategies to drive productivity and ensure safety.

We recognise that innovation cannot be achieved in isolation. Collaboration with industry partners, suppliers, and customers is paramount for us to drive impactful change. By sharing knowledge, we can co-create pioneering solutions that will benefit the entire industry. This cooperative approach accelerates the pace of innovation, enabling rapid prototyping, joint problem-solving and measurable success.

Next steps for us is developing our Innovation Hub which serves as the epicentre of technical excellence, knowledge management, forward-thinking, and collaboration. Our vision is to use it as a catalyst for capturing new ideas, nurturing talent, and fostering a culture of creativity. By developing a dedicated virtual environment we connect our capabilities, create a digitally enabled technical community and encourage our multidisciplinary teams to implement innovative, best value solutions.

Innovation is pivotal to the evolution of the built environment. At SES, we are well-prepared to tackle future challenges and deliver sustainable solutions to shape the engineering and technology landscape. Who is ready to join us on this journey?