Innovation in Construction

How can innovation in the construction industry be strengthened? What instruments and approaches are being used by governments to promote it? What works and under what circumstances? These key questions have profound implications. This book presents a framework for the analysis of innovation models and systems in construction and an international comparison of these systems, with a focus on their application in practical policy development. After a general review, the next chapters then present a description of the national systems of innovation in construction and the role of public policy instruments in fifteen countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, The Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom. Each country is covered in the same general framework set out in four major sections. Firstly, the general context of its construction industry is set out: key characteristics are presented, as is the current situation of innovation in this industry. Approaches taken and major public programmes are outlined, especially those which support R&D, demonstration projects or advanced practices; or programs which encourage performance and quality improvement, such as evaluation methods, indicators of performance, benchmarking, quality awareness or diffusion programs, or the use of building codes or the adoption of standard practices.