APRES – Case Study

APRES – Case Study
APRES is a network of industrial and academic partners that is developing an action programme for delivering responsible sourcing in the UK construction industry. The network will be a knowledge-sharing and dissemination focus of responsible sourcing practices. It will help to forge new research ideas and relationships, and provide guidance directly to the industry.

BRE Global is a core partner in the network, which is managed by Loughborough University and funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Other core partners include Bovis Lend Lease, URS Scott Wilson, the University of Nottingham, Warwick Business School, Responsible Solutions and the University of Bath.

This multi-disciplinary group of academics and industrialists is needed to tackle the complex challenges associated with responsible sourcing. It will analyse the problems, develop an action programme, disseminate the outcomes, and influence others to sustain a healthy community of practice on responsible sourcing into the future.

APRES started work in October 2010 with the specific objectives of:

• exploring the challenges involved in delivering responsible sourcing to help develop a coordinated action programme

• establishing and sustaining an enthusiastic membership base that will become a well established and reliable community of practice

• mapping the industry’s skills and knowledge needs through dialogue with network members in workshops, on context, market and technology challenges

• defining academic R&D directions, and improving the quality of research interactions between academics and industry

• identifying and disseminating outcomes and best practice to the industry and others, via a dedicated website, email and themed events – acting as an independent, central point of information

• providing an open and impartial discussion forum for the construction industry and its customers, academics, government and standard-setting bodies.

For more information on the APRES Network go to https://apres.lboro.ac.uk/