Is Fragmentation of the UK Construction Industry the Main Barrier to Innovation? The Architects' View

There is much concern about the lack of innovation in the UK construction industry in comparison with other industries. According to the UK innovation surveys commissioned by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the construction industry lags behind other UK sectors in innovation. This paper reports on past and recent literature on innovation, in particular, it provides a follow up to the study of Bowley (1966) into the resistance to change in the British Building Industry. Primary research in the form of a questionnaire was carried out in conjunction with secondary research. In total, 29 architects were surveyed and analysis of the results suggests that the ‘attitude’ of the construction industry and the ‘risk’ of the new innovation were perceived to be the main barriers to innovation, more so than the ‘fragmentation’ of the industry. The perceived main driver of integration does not instantly stand out as a solution to removing these barriers