Autonomous and connected construction equipment ‘could add billions’ to economy

That was the finding by UK-based infrastructure solutions company Costain, which was commissioned by the Department for Transport to provide market analysis of the wider adoption of machines featuring the latest digital technology.

The study found that connected and autonomous machines could add £61 billion (US$79.3 billion) in value to the UK economy by 2050, through a combination of direct and indirect effects across the supply chain.

At the same time, increased use of the machines could realise an additional gross value added (GVA) of £356 billion (US$462.9 billion) by 2050, through savings and increased productivity.

Combined, the research found that the UK’s wider adoption of connected and autonomous machines could leave to an additional GVA of £417 billion (US$542.2 billion) as a cumulative total by 2050.

In the road and rail sectors, connected and autonomous plant (CAP) could reduce safety incidents by 28,000 through to 2050, potentially removing operators from high-risk environments, in addition to driving improvements to workplace wellbeing.

The report also estimated that the wider adoption of CAP would have significant environmental benefits based on more efficient work and reduced emissions.

The study found that wider CAP adoption in the years to 2050 would reduce carbon emissions in road and rail by 19,300kt of CO2e, equivalent to the annual CO2e absorbed by an area of forest the size of Wales.

Jonathan Willcock, managing director of transportation at Costain, said, “Connected and autonomous plant has the potential to transform the productivity of construction activities and, in turn, give a significant boost to the UK economy over the coming decades. Importantly, the technology will also play a key role in encouraging greener and safer ways of working, as well as creating more high-skilled jobs for the workforce.

“We’re already seeing CAP being deployed on projects across the country, but in order to scale up and achieve the benefits faster, there needs to be a shift in thinking to embrace this technology and drive positive change.”

The UK is a net exporter of construction plant and equipment, a market valued at £15bn (US$19.5 billion) annually. Approximately one-fifth of construction plant currently in use has some degree of connectivity and autonomy, including compactors, excavators and bulldozers, in addition to technology such as 3D printing and AI robotics.