Workshops in Inverness set to showcase pioneering tech to construction SMEs

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) working in construction and the built environment in the Highlands and Islands are being invited to experience pioneering manufacturing technology that could help boost efficiencies and green credentials.

Free-to-attend, drop-in workshops are being hosted on August 17 and 18 at Inverness College University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) by Make it Smart Hub, a collaborative programme led by Built Environment – Smarter Transformation (BE-ST), designed to help futureproof the construction and manufacturing sectors in the region.

Attendees will be able to try 3D scanning equipment that can create a digital representation of a place or object to millimetre accuracy in minutes; virtual and augmented reality visualisation kit that could benefit teams operating in rural locations; and a heat flow meter that can test the thermal performance of different materials.

Tom Warren, impact manager – sustainability, at BE-ST, said: “Digital transformation will play a big part in the sector’s transition to zero carbon and these sessions are designed to help raise awareness of the types of cutting-edge technology that could support SMEs to achieve that ambition.”

A number of companies have already benefited from the support offered through the hub including 7-22 Systems, an ecological construction business based on the Isle of Benbecula. The firm specialises in the design and construction of environmentally sustainable buildings using offsite manufacturing and pre-insulated components, and recently collaborated with BE-ST to improve its cutting templates.

The Make it Smart Hub is led by BE-ST, with support from Inverness College UHI, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Data Lab and Censis, the innovation centre for sensors, imaging systems, and Internet of Things technologies.