At the Gateway we love to celebrate action and believe there is no faster way to develop your product than getting a pilot up and running.
Which is why I was so excited to chat with Colin Evison, Head of Innovation at BAM Nuttall, about the current pilot they are running with EHAB.
EHAB automates construction contract clauses and caps risk through parametric insurance, so BAM Nuttall couldn’t be a better partner. BAM Nuttall are part of the Royal Bam Group of civil engineers and their group is one of Europe’s largest contractors, employing 20000 people globally.
What excites you about the EHAB Weather Ledger project?
I particularly like the enthusiasm and fresh approach to problem solving that a startup like EHAB can provide. The use of blockchain in construction is a new area that is yet to be explored in any detail and I am sure it will add value once it is fully understood and applied.
What are the benefits of partnering with EHAB?
Partnering with EHAB allows BAM Nuttall to jointly explore and develop the potential that distributed ledger technology may bring to the construction industry, in order to address the generally recognised view that productivity is poor and needs to be improved.
Agile and fresh partners such as EHAB can objectively examine the way we do things in the industry and work on how to overcome the embedded behaviours and practices that are stifling productivity growth.
What challenges will EHAB face and how will your partnership help overcome them?
The challenge faced by the industry is huge, working with BAM Nuttall allows EHAB to focus their efforts on issues that are relevant and add the most value if addressed. We can provide access to experienced people in roles that EHAB are targeting to enable improvements.
How does partnering with a startup compare to innovating in house?
Working with a startup allows us to develop solutions that are quick, relevant and unencumbered by the inertia that a large commercial organisation has.
What does the future look like for BAM Nuttall and EHAB?
So far our relationship has been very positive, with several individual personal relationships being established within our organisations. We see no reason that this relationship should not strengthen further in the months and years ahead.
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Colin has been appointed the first Head of Innovation at BAM Nuttall, his latest role since joining in 1997. Previously Engineering Manager, he now leads a team looking to identify and develop the best new technology, materials, methods and ideas from a wide range of sectors and organisations including start-ups and universities.
Colin is an ICE reviewer, Supervising Civil Engineer and mentor to junior colleagues. He is a Chartered Civil Engineer, Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers and Institution of Engineering and Technology and past chairman of Railway Civil Engineers’ Association.
If you have a parametric insurtech idea and want to get a pilot of the ground as fast as possible, we want to hear from you. Please get in touch.
