Being part of industry conversations is really important for us here at Keyline, so we’d been looking forward to attending Highways UK 2024 for some time. Held at the NEC, the exhibition is for anyone involved in the future-proofing of the UK’s road network, and with themes including the future of road investment, innovation, and reaching net zero roads at pace, we had to be in the mix.

As an exhibitor, it was a great opportunity to network with other industry stakeholders, after all, it’s not often that you get so many representatives from the road infrastructure sector all in the same place!

Of course, as a market-leading civils merchant and partner to the construction industry, we had several innovative products on the stand for attendees to find out more about, including:

• Versarien Graphene Ltd 3D Construction Printed Products: a new method of construction where a robot prints layer-upon-layer of cementitious material to build an object. A great way to build complex geometries, fast.

• Marshalls Plc EDENKERB: the first complete solution for integrating rain garden kerbs seamlessly into schemes, making it possible to add this innovative SuDS feature into projects easily and consistently.

• Basalt Technologies UK Ltd Bastech Rebar: a type of fibre reinforcement bar which can be used as a lighter, more sustainable alternative to steel rebar in suitable applications.

• Fernco Ltd Innovative Lifting Mechanisms: a groundbreaking drainage installation method, allowing long pre-connected pipelines to be swiftly placed into a trench without the need for trench supports or person entry.

• VYPR Ltd, Kodi Klip: the fastest steel fixing system in the world, Kodi Klip enables fixers to make more secure connections faster than any other system.

Everyone attending Highways UK was there for the same reason: they know that evolution is needed for our roads. Users need safe, efficient and sustainable roads, and it will take collaboration to achieve this.

We also made time to attend some of the many conferences held throughout the two days. One panel that particularly captured our attention was ‘Connecting customers with confidence through an optimised strategic road network’. 

I’ve outlined some of the key take-away points from the panel, which I found to be particularly thought-provoking.

Safety:

• The way we talk about safety can change so that we have more productive conversations. The perception of good, safe roads is vital – it’s not all about evidence. For example, if you’re on a Smart motorway and don’t feel safe, you don’t feel safe – regardless of statistics that may state otherwise. 

• Road safety is moving in a positive direction. The number of people killed or seriously injured is down 39 percent, which is heading in the right direction of the government’s target of 50 percent – which is set as deliberately ambitious so that the industry challenges itself.

Customer need:

• We need to create a culture of curiosity, we need to look into the way we do things from the perspective of the user and find a way to do better.

• The industry isn’t always empathetic to the situations of others. Listening to individuals and their different perspectives is so important.

• How we talk to customers matters – we need to be clear, human, and not just talk numbers.

• We know that concrete roads are coming to the end of their lives, so we urgently need to think about how customers will use roads in the future and how we can meet their needs.

The issue of finance:

• Fiscal strain can make us more creative and innovative, this is the approach we need to take during this time of hardship.

• The government understands the need for more funding to make our roads better, our industry needs to find a way to effectively trickle down this money to fix our local roads. 

Ultimately, the speakers helped remind us that we work in an amazing sector and can use innovation to connect the country and support the economy. With prospects of greater decarbonisation, the sector has an exciting future – it’s now up to all of us to deliver it, keeping the customer in mind.

Find out more about how Keyline is supporting the civils industry.