Colleges as agents for construction innovation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight the low level of adoption of innovative products in the UK. The paper presents a case study conducted for investigating the potential for UK further education colleges (FECs), in order to extend their existing activity and develop a role as independent centres for specialist knowledge of innovative products.Design/methodology/approach – To test assumptions which had been previously published by government departments (Departments of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Trade and Industry), two surveys were conducted, focusing on the level of knowledge and experience of construction small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) regarding innovative products and processes. In total, six colleges collaborated and successfully bid for funding to test their ability to deliver a wider role in the construction community. Each appointed a fully funded full‐time adviser to research, collect, and diffuse information about a specific specialist area.Findings –...