BuiltWorlds has released its 2024 Global Innovators list, which recognizes companies for their dedication and commitment to advancing change and innovation in the construction of buildings and infrastructure
This year marks the fifth anniversary of Global Innovators program, which has been expanded from 50 to 75 companies, reflecting a “growing appetite and bandwidth” for innovation across the buildings and infrastructure sectors.
Companies named in the list include international design and consultancy firm Arcadis, Canadian design business WSP Global, professional services firm AECOM and building materials provider CRH.
Innovators driving change in buildings and infrastructure
“The Global Innovator awards are an annual recognition of the companies considered by the industry to be driving change, both internally and externally, in the most impactful and widespread ways,” said Tyler Sewall, senior research director for BuiltWorlds.
“The intent of this award is to highlight those organizations on the leading and bleeding edges of innovation to inspire, educate, and inform the whole ecosystem.
“Companies on this list are the first movers, the lighthouses in the fog and, in certain instances, the canaries in the coal mine for the global industry.”
Open innovation
“The role of innovation has significantly increased over the last five years, evidenced by the increase in companies with innovation teams and the size of those teams,” said Sewall.
“Many innovation teams started out with a specific focus, generally either related to pilot programs or investments in early-stage technologies. In recent years, more mature innovation teams have sought to build more robust ‘open innovation’ programs that operate across business units and combine pilot programs, venture investments, corporate development and business innovation efforts to broadly expand all business opportunities.”
“The technological maturity of the construction industry has advanced significantly, and this progress is no accident. As more organizations embrace innovation, the recognition of these expanded efforts grow as well.”
The Global Innovators list follows BuiltWorlds’ publication of the 25 contech tools transforming the built environment in November.
