Inventing Construction

If you read the headlines, you might think data centres are the problem. They use energy. They take up space. They create “just a few jobs.” They’re described as grey, windowless boxes that quietly sit in industrial zones, consuming power and giving little back.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth:
If you switched them off tomorrow, modern society would end.

In today's podcast episode, we sit down with Merima Dzanic Chief Operating Officer at the Danish Data Centre Industry, to discuss one of the most misunderstood sectors in construction and infrastructure today.

What you'll...

The construction industry is moving faster than ever. Digital twins. Information management frameworks. AI-assisted workflows. Data-driven decision-making. Asset-focused delivery. Clients demanding structured data, not just drawings.
Meanwhile, universities operate in three- to five-year curriculum cycles, shaped by accreditation requirements, professional standards, and institutional governance. So the question isn’t provocative for the sake of it. It’s necessary:

Can academia keep up with a rapidly changing construction industry?

That is the topic of today's episode. We've invited Professor of Information Management Sarah Davidson from the University of Nottingham to help us answer this question.

The construction industry has a people problem. 
Across markets, firms are struggling to hire and retain building surveyors, quantity surveyors, project managers, and estimators. The demand for construction is growing, regulation is increasing, risk is rising, and yet more people are leaving the industry than entering.

In today's episode we're talking to Phil Chell, CEO and Co-founder of Chiron.ai, to explore a controversial but necessary question:

What if the solution isn’t hiring more surveyors, but replacing parts of the role altogether?

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

Thinking about concrete as a sustainable material might sound a bit weird. But when you look past the headline statistics regarding its carbon impact, you start to see a material that is undergoing a quiet, chemical revolution.

In this episde we explore this topic with Andrea Charlson, a Senior Sustainability Specialist and Circular Economy Lead at The Concrete Centre in the UK. With a career spanning major infrastructure projects and strategic policy roles, Andrea brings a wealth of experience to the conversation about how concrete is evolving to meet a net-zero future.

What you'll learn from...

The real competitive advantage in construction isn’t technology, contracts, or delivery models. It’s people. It's highly competent people that enjoy and experiences meaning in the work they do everyday. 
In this episode Elia is joined by Antonio, Director at KOSMOS, to a conversation about why he joined KOSMOS and how construction companies can stop offering “jobs” and start building careers – and why that shift can be business critical.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- Why Antonio chose KOSMOS
- What it's like being a quantity surveyor in Denmark
- Why...

Talking about data in construction might sound like a technicality reserved for IT departments. But when you look at how projects are actually run—the "headless chicken" scenarios on-site, the reactive decision-making, and the billions lost to inefficiency—you realize that data isn't just a tool; it is the foundation of the industry’s future - but we have to do it right and remain in control.

In today's episode we've invited Sara Mehrabi, Vice President of Data Analytics and Decision Intelligence at COWI. As an engineer by training, Sara has seen firsthand how the industry struggles to bridge...

Starting a conversation about programming in construction might not sound like a recipe for excitement. But give it a minute.
When you zoom in on what professional services truly mean in this industry, the endless Excel sheets, the risk of human error, and the sheer amount of admin, you start to see the problem. And with it, the solution.

In this episode Ross has a conversation with Christian Kongsgaard about the essential role of coding in the digital progression of the industry.
The core question is: Should professionals, from architects and engineers to cost managers and...

Talk about transforming construction, and you’ll often get eye-rolls or buzzword fatigue. But listen to those that are the most passionate about this topic, and you’ll find a much deeper story—one of culture, people, missed opportunities, and real, actionable change. 

In this episode Ross sat down with Paul Bingham from Smart Connected Buildings and Digital Construction Forum, who shared decades of insight from smart tech, real estate, and digital transformation.

It’s not that construction is broken. It’s that it could be much better. And according to Paul, the tools are already here—we jus...

When most people hear "construction innovation," they picture software teams in office buildings or tech startups far from the dust and noise of real projects. But innovation is happening where the concrete is poured and the cranes swing. And it's not abstract. It's practical, scalable, and saves time and money.
In this episode, we've invited on Casper Hertz Nielsen, Process and Innovation Chief at NCC in Denmark, to discuss the very real changes happening on construction sites today. From smarter digital tools to sharper energy tracking, here's how NCC's team is reshaping on-site workflows.

What you'll learn...

When we talk about the future of construction, we often focus on carbon goals, modular design, or project delivery speed. But there’s a quieter crisis growing behind the scenes: we lack the people who both understand construction and speak the language of data, programming, automation, or AI.

It’s not just a skills gap. It’s a profile gap. And if we don’t start building bridges between domains, we risk holding back the digital transformation that construction desperately needs.

In today's episode, Elia sits down with Aske Strandberg, a professional whose career spans hospitality, construc...

Digitalising an entire industry doesn’t happen overnight. Especially not construction, an industry built on tradition, relationships, and physical outcomes.

But when you zoom in on how digitalisation unfolds, policy shifts, public sector influence, tech adoption, and cultural change, you begin to see the slow, deliberate path forward.

In this podcast episode, Ross sat down with Troels Hoff, director of digital development at Ramboll and member of DiKon, to unpack that very question. The episode is a realistic yet hopeful look at the timeline, obstacles, and opportunities tied to going digital - from Denmark’s vantage poin...

We'd like to thank you all for listening to Inventing Construction. 

Let’s face it: pharmaceutical construction isn’t your average building site. You’re not just dealing with concrete and steel; you’re dealing with regulatory scrutiny, sterile environments, and equipment that costs more than most houses. And in Denmark’s growing life sciences sector, the pressure to get it right, first time, on time, is only increasing. Yet the industry seems to be struggling with this delivery. Why is that? That is the topic of this episode.

We've invited Steffen Hebsgaard Muff, an experienced construction lawyer, to help us unravel these challenges, and help us to change things for...

There’s a kind of quiet chaos in the construction industry. Not the noisy kind with jackhammers and rebar, but the hidden kind, buried in emails, ignored in meeting notes, and overlooked in the schedule. It’s called change. And we’re still not managing it properly.

We've invited João Dias, a civil engineer with 15 years of global experience in project controls.

From West Africa to the Caribbean, Denmark to London, João has seen it all: the same mistakes, the same blind spots, repeated again and again.

Today we'll learn from the repeatin...

Contractors are starting to hire external quantity surveying consultants. But that's just one of many changes shaping the future of quantity surveying for contractors. 

Tom Haley, Managing Director at Quantik, and his team help contractors with quantity surveying services everyday. What changes has he seen over the past years? And what does the future hold in these trying times of ever diminishing margins? That's the topic of today's episode. 

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- The existential threats to quantity surveying
- Is quantity surveying actually dying out?
...

Talking about recruitment in the construction industry might not sound like the most gripping topic. But once you look closely at the way many firms still hire, the endless CV pushing, the rushed job ads, the costly mis-hires, you start to see why change is overdue.


In this episode, Ross sits down with John Murphy, Founder and Director of Anzurra, to discuss why the traditional recruitment model is faltering and how a partnership-led approach could change the game for global construction. From SMEs to major contractors, the pressure to find and keep the right people is intense...

Content marketing isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind when you think of scaffolding, concrete pours, or tenders. But maybe it should be.

In this episode we discuss what content marketing is, how it can change your construction business, and how it can perhaps lead to a more transparent and improved industry.

We are joined by our very own podcast production team: Jakob Sloth Linneberg owner of Ugli Fruit Productions and Laurits Boile, a video and content marketing specialist and owner of Lauritsboile.com.

This is a fun one :)

Wh...

Starting a conversation about procurement in construction might not sound like a recipe for excitement. But give it a minute. Because when you zoom in on what procurement really means in this industry, the endless Excel sheets, the email ping-pong, the scope confusion, the copy-paste chaos, you start to see the problem.

In this episode we've invited Paul Heming, Co-Founder and CEO at C-Link, a software company aimed at cleaning up procurement, or at least make it less of a black hole for data, time, and sanity.

Let's talk procurement!

What you'll learn from...

Starting a business in the Construction Industry is never simple. The shifting standards, digitalization and cultural fragmentation, are a challenge few fully understand until they’re in it. But luckily, a new generation of digital consultants is taking the leap anyway. Facing the challenges in an industry often lacking in communication and efficiency.

In today's episode we've invited Anas Ayoub, Founder and CEO of XD House.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- The reality of running a business in construction tech
- Dealing with imperfection and internal risk-taking
...

From rethinking education to transforming how we build, digitization is no longer optional.
It’s the cornerstone of a smarter, safer, and more sustainable future. And the next generation and new aspiring businesses are already stepping into a world many industry veterans struggle to navigate.

If we do not adapt to the changing circumstances, both the technological and legal, our current way of doing things might mean the end for our businesses. 

We've invited Dr. Bola Abisogun OBE, founder of the Digital Twin Skills Academy and Honorary Doctor at London South Bank University to help us...

Timber construction is having a moment, and from sleek urban offices to modular housing blocks, wood is being hailed as the sustainable material of the future. But is it really the environmental silver bullet it’s claimed to be, or just another marketing trend dressed in green?

We've invited David Lomax, Associate Director at Waugh Thistleton Architects, to help us unravel timber construction - a topic he is an expert in. If you're just a tad curious about timber construction, this is the episode for you.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

Sustainability has now become a reality reshaping the Construction Industry. From regulatory changes to evolving client expectations, the demand for greener, smarter, and more ethical building practices is transforming how projects are designed, costed, and delivered. But what does this shift mean for companies? 
And more specifically, for quantity surveyors and estimators? That's the topic of today's episode.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- Why we don't distinguish between carbon and cost
- Why carbon responsibility belongs with QSs
- Why the way we invest in buildings is outdated

Services Design and BIM... there's a lot of potential there, that's for sure. But at the moment MEP design still lags in quality. Why is that? And how can it be changed for the better?

We've invited Gary Cowan, Head of Digital Construction at Kane Group. He's going to take us through the journey of Services Design and BIM, and how we can make our MEP-processes much more seamless and efficient on projects now, and in the future. 

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- Why MEP design still lags in q...

The Construction Industry is undergoing a profound transformation. At the heart of this change is a new generation of digitally minded professionals. These are not just engineers or architects with iPads – they are individuals rethinking the processes, roles, and expectations across the entire built environment. 

Among the rising profiles is the young digital quantity surveyor. In today's episode we are having a conversation with one of these, Alice Graham, Solution Specialist in cost management. 

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- Why disruption in construction matters
- Is academia preparing stud...

AI is no longer just a buzzword. 
It's here, it's real, and it's changing the landscape of every industry. As automation tools and intelligent systems become more capable, professionals across architecture, engineering and construction are beginning to wonder: 

"What does this mean for my job?"

Don't worry, we have invited James Garner, Global Head of Data, Insights & Analytics at Gleeds to discuss this very topic. Enjoy.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- How AI will turn your working life upside down in the next 10 years
- Th...

We are live from LONDON! Today we are discussing tracking and digitalization, and how it can change your construction projects. 

In today's episode, we dive into the role of tracking and automation in streamlining project management, reducing inefficiencies, and improving collaboration. Our guest, Mohammad Shana'a, CEO & Co-Founder at Morta, shares his insights on how data-driven workflows are shaping the future of construction.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- Are new software systems making us more efficient?
- Why clients don't know what is happening on their projects
- H...

A common misconception is that more data equals better decisions. Information Managers gather, process and distribute information at the right time and in the right format for all project stakeholders.

The Danish term for the role, IKT-leder (leader), highlights its importance in ensuring structured, timely, and relevant information flow across all phases of a project. Digital workflows and collaborations in present time have made this role even more crucial for the Construction Industry.  

In today's episode we've invited an actual Information Manager to have a conversation with us about this role. Andrijana Nasteska from NIRAS. 

What would happen if Quantity Surveying (or any profession) didn't exist at all, and we had to reinvent it from scratch? What would we do differently? In this episode we turn the quantity surveying process on it's head.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- Has quantity surveying changed in the last 100 years?
- Why the old quantity surveying processes are outdated
- Why Quantity Surveyors ruin Architects lives everyday
- Why technology wont save quantity surveying
- Why we are failing to digitize the Construction Industry

...

How will AI and automation impact the Construction Industry? How can we overcome the resistance to innovation? Why is context and data so vital for decision-making? These are some of the questions we'll try to answer in this episode.

We have invited Asbjørn Levring to help us unravel these topics. Asbjørn is Founder and CEO of INSTRAT360, a software company that is reshaping strategy and decision-making for businesses and projects - by using AI and automation. Asbjørn has also worked many years in the Construction Industry.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inv...

The Construction Industry has not fully entered the digital age - yet. In order for this to happen, we need construction people, who are willing to shift careers and interests, and start to learn and implement new technology in their current construction processes.

This is not an easy task, but today, we have invited Matthew Osment, Founder of Shift, a company who helps project teams and people to learn these critical skills, that'll elevate them to the necessary understanding, so they can start changing their processes for the better.

In this episode, you'll learn about the...

Circular Economy is the future. But what exactly is it? How does it differ from sustainability? And, what does it mean for the Construction Industry?

We have invited Patrick Moloney, Director of Strategic Sustainability Consulting at Ramboll, to help us understand what Circular Economy is, and what it means for our industry. 

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- What will 2035 look like in Construction
- Why 90% of waste comes from the design phase
- Why carbon will come before $$$$
- Who has the power to accelerate the s...

Data centers are only a small part of the total buildings in the world. Yet, 3 to 4% of all carbon from energy use, comes from these 11.000 data centers. Add water consumption for cooling and electrical waste to the equation, and your looking at an overlooked, but quite large, sustainability challenge in a very small industry. And now, with the rise of AI - data centers will only require more energy!

So what can we do about this upcoming challenge in construction? That is the topic of todays podcast.

We have invitied our very own Roger Barkley, Senior...

Architecture is changing. Sustainability and innovation have increased the requirements for Architects working in the industry today. Digitalization, sustainability and several new technologies are changing the possibilites of what Architecture can be, and what it should include. Our guest today is Jakob Strømann- Andersen, Director of Innovation and Sustainability at Henning Larsen Architects.

In this episode you'll get an understanding of how some of the worlds most advanced Architects are working and changing their ways to become even more effective. 

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- How Architecture has ch...

We, as an Industry, need to be more collaborative if we are to solve the enormous challenges that construction is facing. BLOXHUB, situated in Copenhagen, is a non-profit organization that is trying to increase collaboration in both the Danish Construction Industry and on the international scene. BLOXHUB has seen succes with their approach, and our guest today is Martine Reinhold Kildeby, Director, Global Networks & Partnerships at BLOXHUB. In this episode we'll be discussing the future of collaboration in the Construction Industry.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- What is BLOXHUB?
...

Coding has entered the Construction Industry. And so has the sustainability agenda. In Denmark you have to calculate a Life Cycle Assessment of your project before you can receive a Building Permit. This new regulation has resulted in the creation of several new programs that can help Developers calculate LCAs.

Our guest today, Christian Kongsgaard, is the creator of LCAx. An open-source software that allows all of these new programs to speak together. So, can we code our way to a sustainable future? That's the topic of this episode.

What you'll learn from today's episode of...

AI is making its entrance into the Construction Industry. But it requires data to be trained on. Construction data. We don't have a lot of that.
And the data we have, might not be of the best standardized quality... training an AI on this old data might just give us more of the same - which we don't want. So, how can we solve this? That is today's topic.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- Why you have to train your own AI
- The historical bias of AI
...

How do we reach our goals for 2050? Where do we start? These are the thoughts that started ZERO Construct. A non-profit organization and community of like-minded people, working in construction, all trying to make the Industry more sustainable one project at a time. 

Our guest, Matthew Jackson, is Co-Founder of ZERO Construct. A community with over 3000 members, globally. Now... how DO WE reach 2050? That is the topic of this episode.

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- What is ZERO Construct?
- How do you start reducing carbon?
- H...

What new tech is Denmark looking into right now? It's not BIM. It's beyond BIM. 

Construction Technology. That is today's topic.

We've invited Ole Berard, Head of ConTech Lab in Molio. A Danish non-profit organization whose aim is to research and create the new technology upon which the Construction Industry builds. The rest of the world can learn a lot from Denmark's journey in construction technology, as Denmark is one of the leading countries when it comes to this subject. 

What you'll learn from today's episode of Inventing Construction:

- What comes af...

In this episode we dive deep into the challenges faced by the evolving role of the Digital/Carbon Quantity Surveyor. We've invited our very own Harry Montgomery, Cost Manager in KOSMOS. Also known as: 'the new guy'. He will share with us his insights on becoming a Digital Quantity Surveyor, the challenges around this during his education, and the industry barriers to innovation as he sees them.

If you are considering becoming a Digital Quantity Surveyor, or any digital role in the Construction Industry, this podcast is a must-listen. 

We sincerely hope that this podcast episode w...

Yet again the topic is sustainability. This time, we are speaking to Peter Fangel Poulsen, Civil Engineer and Partner of BAUHERR, in Copenhagen. Denmark is one of the leading countries when it comes to sustainable solutions withing the Construction Industry. But even so, their journey has just started.

In today's episode we are discussing the cost of sustainability in Denmark. What has the journey been like so far? What solutions are clients looking into? And, what are the future challenges of our global industry when it comes to sustainable construction?

What you'll learn from today's episode...