About

Heriot-Watt University’s Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction (CESC) is committed to advancing industry-led innovations in construction that will revolutionise the way we develop, manage and operate smarter cities.

CESC partners with like-minded organisations and government entities to lead the transformation of the Built Environment and development of next generation professionals for the benefit of the economy. 

CESC is a global hub for disruptive thinking, a platform for collaborative research and a model for solutions development and stakeholder engagement. The industry-led research and development will focus on enabling technologies around three main research themes: 

Performance and Productivity

World-class researchers are working with industry partners to improve the efficiency of the construction industry by creating, promoting and sharing knowledge relating to the latest  technological developments. This in turn leads to maximising efficiencies, improved quality and reliability, and a reduction in project variations, duration and cost.

Sustainability

Led by the Net Zero by 2050 carbon objectives and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, CESC will continue to collaborate with industry and government to increase the level of social, economical, environmental and cultural sustainability of the Built Environment.

Wellbeing

In a post-COVID-19 world, Heriot-Watt University's academic programmes and CESC initiatives will lead the development of research toward the enhancement of health, safety and wellbeing. The overall aim is to improve the welfare of the workforce and workplaces.