A new report published today sets out how Scotland can strengthen the flow of new entrants into the construction and built environment workforce, helping ensure the sector has the people and skills needed to deliver against the country’s future ambitions.

Scotland’s housing emergency is often discussed in terms of ambition or funding. Yet as efforts to increase supply gather pace, the real challenge is often delivery: planning and regulation, cost certainty and a fragmented system where projects rarely build on one another. 

To mark Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2026, BE-ST has delivered an intensive programme of specialist training to more than 140 apprentices and pre-apprentices this week in Glasgow and Dumfries & Galloway to build the skills needed for Scotland’s low carbon future.

A major disruptor in the UK construction sector, based in the South of Scotland, is benefitting from a £330,000 grant to propel its pioneering recycled‑glass building technology.

The Scottish Government has announced More Homes Scotland, a new housing agency. This is an exciting announcement and a significant step forward for creating the mechanisms we need to overcome Scotland’s housing emergency which was declared in May 2024. 

Sustainable timber construction research transformed into new V&A exhibit.

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has awarded £430k from its flagship Industry Impact Fund to develop a comprehensive industry training programme to accelerate timber construction in the UK.

ASBP and BE-ST announce strategic partnership to drive sustainable transformation in the built environment across the UK.

Thames Freeport launches Sustainable Construction Lab as first retrofit works begin on the Becontree Estate.

The UK’s leading and largest construction show is back at Olympia London on November 19th and 20th, and it’s breaking all records! 

Last night BE-ST (Built Environment – Smarter Transformation) celebrated the Accelerate to Zero Awards with over 200 stakeholders from across the built environment and construction sectors.

BE-ST has been appointed by Scottish Enterprise to undertake work which develops its role as a Cluster Management Organisation for the built environment. BE-ST will map current cluster activity, foster cross cluster collaboration, identify opportunities for economic growth, and unlock the full potential of Scotland’s innovation landscape.

BE-ST has welcomed eight key figures in the built environment and construction sectors onto its board. The new members bring experiences from industry and beyond, as well as expertise from retrofit, sustainability, property, energy, digital, innovation, and infrastructure. 

BE-ST is proud to have collaborated with Bauer Media Outdoor and partners on the launch of the Milestone range of bus shelters in Basildon, Essex, marking the most significant innovation in UK bus shelter design in decades.

London Build 2025 returns to Olympia’s Grand and National Halls on November 19th and 20th to celebrate 10 years of connecting the construction industry. To mark the milestone, this year’s event will offer more networking, innovation and community building than ever before. 

The Accelerate to Zero Awards recognise the businesses, organisations and individuals making the biggest contribution to decarbonising the built environment and supporting the just transition to zero carbon.

Today BE-ST officially relaunched its Innovation Campus by welcoming stakeholders to see the newly equipped Mass Timber Centre of Excellence and Scotland’s newly retrofitted National Retrofit Centre. 

Scotland’s construction sector is facing a critical skills gap as it works to meet decarbonisation targets while delivering homes and buildings that are affordable, efficient, and high quality. To help bridge this gap, Built Environment – Smarter Transformation (BE-ST) is launching the Low Carbon Passport – a course to train for the current and future the skills and competencies needed to deliver high-quality, low carbon, efficient buildings.

BE-ST (Built Environment - Smarter Transformation) Scotland's innovation centre for construction and the built environment innovation, has been awarded the prestigious Investor in Innovations (I3) accreditation by the Institute of Innovation and Knowledge Exchange (IKE Institute).

The Accelerate to Zero Awards are back for their third year to recognise the businesses, organisations, and individuals making the most significant contributions to decarbonising the built environment and supporting the just transition to a zero carbon built environment.