The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is to set up a new high-level working group to help facilitate connections between UK construction businesses and Chinese companies entering the UK market.
Due to be formally established this summer and made up of “leading figures from the industry” the group will be headed up by Douglas Oakervee, the past president of the ICE and formerly executive chairman of Crossrail who currently acts as the institution’s special representative for China.
Oakervee also spent his mid-career years in Hong Kong, as project director for the Airport Authority during the construction of Foster’s Chep Lap Kok airport. For the past five years the industry veteran has also been non-executive chairman of Laing O’Rourke Hong Kong.
“With sovereign and private investment from China increasing to fund much of the UK’s infrastructure and energy needs the involvement of Chinese companies is expected to grow and there is a real need for our companies to manage the situation carefully and take full advantage of the opportunities arising.”
Douglas Oakervee
Oakervee announced the formation of the group in a press release issued to mark the appointment of the China Harbour Engineering Company as preferred bidder to a £300m marine works contract at the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project.
He said: “With sovereign and private investment from China increasing to fund much of the UK’s infrastructure and energy needs the involvement of Chinese companies is expected to grow and there is a real need for our companies to manage the situation carefully and take full advantage of the opportunities arising.
“The Institution of Civil Engineers is about to establish a working group involving senior members of the construction industry to see how best they can facilitate working with Chinese companies.”
Nick Baveystock, director general of ICE, told Construction Manager: “Clearly this level of interest [at Swansea] in the UK’s infrastructure reflects the strength of the UK market and is a significant step forward. China and Chinese companies also have demand for engineering expertise and a huge infrastructure programme, which British engineers are keen to support.
“As such, ICE has been working hard behind the scenes to facilitate engagement between the UK and Chinese construction industries, and pave the way for collaboration.”
The Swansea announcement follows an emerging trend of Chinese contractor involvement in UK projects with Beijing Construction Engineering Group developing an £800m business park next to Manchester Airport with Carillion, and China State Construction Engineering Corporation set to build the £900m One Nine Elms in a JV with Interserve.
In October last year a report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) for law firm Pinsent Masons predicted that China will invest £105bn in Britain by 2025.
