The UK commercial drone industry works together with the civil engineering and the construction industry. At the Kent Event Center, Mudstone, the Kent Construction Expo 2019 was held that was attracted more than two thousand visitors to the more than one hundred seventy trade stands. The main motive of this expo was to represent the largest gathering of contractors, construction industry professionals, experts, and specialist service providers in the South East Region. A different aspect of the construction industry was covered and highlighted in this event from the very smart technology to building supplies and important materials, Other main considerations were heating solutions to biomass, concrete aspect, the hire market to the latest building software, CAD system, architecture, BIM, and also digitalization.
Kent is always a key location for commercial investment and a great strategic player in the South East. They make investments either in start-ups, scaling up from a base or relocating from the rest of the overseas or UK just because of its local business authorities and planning committees and transport links to the rest of the United Kingdom and Europe.
Kent acts like a radar for investors, stakeholders, companies, and developers. There are so many challenges and hurdles identified by The Thames Estuary, BNorth Kent and South Essex, Medway, especially Ashford and Folkestone. Such challenges are posed by the Northern Power House and the Midlands Engine projects. Everywhere in Kent you will see and observe towering cranes changing and altering their skylines as commercial developments, hotels, housing, retail, and leisure complexes. There are some expanding sectors like creative and digital industries, drink, food, manufacturing, and life science attracting and focusing multi-million-pound projects and further approx. six billion pounds Gross Value Added to the economy of UK.
As said by Enthused Jo James, Chief Executive of Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, “Kent undoubtedly hit above its weight when it comes to company innovations and large scale construction projects. Construction sector is booking in the South East, with great developments right across the region and the pace of new house building ramping up all the time.
Innovation can find its way into how to construct buildings and infrastructure. Traditionally It is lagging-behind industries while adopting new technologies and leading companies are embracing new technologies in every aspect of the construction process. For example health, safety, SS, QS, materials, regulation compliance, payroll management, plant and machinery and off-site construction.
This expo gives a unique opportunity to get the inside track on long term infrastructure projects and latest industry developments and innovations. Industry Engagement Manager Simon Barnes said that “innovation is compulsory and finds its way in the construction process of buildings and various types of infrastructure.”
Two hundred exhibitors from the United Kingdom, USA, Japan, Europe and elsewhere took space at the expo and showcased the newest digital technology which is used in the civil engineering and construction industries.
At this expo center there was an indoor drone racing circuit and a drone flying simulator from the RotorRush but there was only one drone exhibition space. An amazing drone named Topcon’s familiar yellow Intel Falcon 8 drone is used for mapping and inspections and magnetic interference environments.
Other software providers promote their workflow solution using rotary drones and fixed-wing. 3D point cloud, 3D textured mesh, contour lines and elevation models promote their LIDAR and photogrammetry aerial survey, aerial environment survey and ground-based surveys.
It’s time when construction and civil engineering companies are adopting the new UAV technologies and advanced software to improve their margin and performance and early adoption of these changes represents so many opportunities to get real competitive advantages in future.
