BE-ST will map current cluster activity, foster cross-cluster collaboration, identify opportunities for economic growth, and unlock the full potential of Scotland’s innovation landscape. This exercise will be delivered in a consortium with Optimat, who will provide actionable sector-specific insights, alongside the Construction Industry Collective Voice (CICV) and their network, ensuring the approach is led by industry.

The programme will run through to April 2026. BE-ST has invited interested industry partners to inform and contribute to the shaping and future of the built environment cluster. Interested parties are asked to contact Gavin Johnston, associate director of commercial and collaborative partnerships: gjohnston@be-st.build.

The Scottish Government, through its National Innovation Strategy 2023 to 2033, has committed to creating a coherent, high-performing national cluster network, managed by CMOs. The ambition is to foster internationally competitive ecosystems in Scotland that drive innovation, economic growth, and sustainability.

To achieve this, the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise are piloting pan-Scotland activities through a pilot Scottish Clusters Scheme across several high-growth sectors with economic or technological potential, including space, the built environment, offshore wind, and life sciences.

BE-ST’s work will pilot the principles set out in a Blueprint for Developing Clusters, which provides a structured approach to the design and delivery of a new Scottish Clusters Programme currently in development.

The aim is to strengthen collaboration between industry, academia, and government within each sector, pooling knowledge, supply chains, talent, and infrastructure that individual organisations could not access alone, to boost competitiveness, innovation and investment across the designated sectors. 

The built environment CMO will begin by mapping existing activity across the cluster and identifying key organisations and areas of focus, with a view to developing a clear roadmap for investment and future development.

Through its role as CMO for the built environment, BE-ST aims to harness the collective strengths of Scotland’s built environment ecosystem, across investors, public and private sector clients, construction supply chains, systems and materials manufacturing, consultants, digital technology and academia, to deliver innovation that transforms how we design, build, retrofit and manage places.

Stephen Good, CEO of BE-ST, said: “We know there’s already critical activity happening across the built environment sector. Our aim is to organise this, to position Scotland’s built environment cluster as a global leader in sustainable, digitally enabled and productive construction, to drive inclusive economic growth, carbon reductions and innovation.

“It’s important to note, a cluster is about doing, not talking. We want to deepen our engagement through this CMO role, with those keen to turn collaboration into action, so get in touch with the BE-ST team if you want to know more.”

Alan Wilson, managing director at SELECT and CICV chair, said: “We welcome this activity as an important step forward for Scotland’s built environment sector. It builds on the strong foundations the sector has already laid through its collaborative innovation work and the partnerships that have been driving change across the sector for years.

“The CICV is a great example of what the sector can achieve by working together and this new focus formalises that effort and creates a clear structure to scale up what’s already working. It’s the next phase in delivering the kind of joined-up, mission-led innovation that’s already at the heart of industry, government, and Scotland’s wider economic transformation.”

David McLay, director of scaling innovation at Scottish Enterprise, said: “As part of our focus on supporting companies to scale, Scottish Enterprise is working collaboratively with partners including Scottish Government and Cluster Management Organisations on a blueprint as part of an emerging Scottish Cluster Support Scheme.

“The appointment of BE-ST will support innovation in the built environment sector as we see clusters as vital drivers of investment, internationalisation, and economic transformation. This is part of our shared ambition to build on the strengths of existing clusters and identify opportunities for new or emerging clusters.”