Business News Wales is launching a new podcast dedicated to Wales’ built environment, bringing together industry leaders to examine the commercial challenges, investment opportunities and major issues shaping construction, property and development across the country.
Building Wales: The Built Environment Podcast will feature conversations with leaders from across construction, property, housing, infrastructure, professional services, investment and government, exploring both the barriers to development and what needs to change to accelerate delivery in Wales.
The first episode of Building Wales will focus on one of the most immediate challenges facing the construction industry: how businesses manage growing financial and commercial risk.
Hosted by Gemma Casey the first episode Construction Risk and Navigating Uncertainty will feature Bethan Evans, Partner at Menzies; Mark Bowen, Estimating Manager at Andrew Scott; and Jason Howells, Partner Construction at Acuity Law.
The discussion will examine the impact of rising labour and material costs, payment delays, fixed-price contracts, financing costs, skills shortages and supply chain pressures.
Rather than treating construction insolvencies simply as a consequence of difficult economic conditions, the conversation will ask whether risk is being identified, priced, allocated and managed effectively enough across projects.
The podcast is the first part of an expanded Business News Wales commitment to the sector and comes ahead of the launch of a new dedicated Built Environment section in December.
The new section will provide a permanent editorial home for news, analysis, interviews, podcasts and insight covering the businesses, projects, policies and investment shaping Wales’ physical and economic landscape.
Its development will also be informed by the first INFORM Wales Built Environment Editorial Board, taking place on 3 November at Aberthaw Power Station.
Hosted by former Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning Rebecca Evans, the Editorial Board will bring together senior representatives from business, industry, academia and government to consider the central question: how can Wales overcome the barriers to development and unlock investment, improve productivity and accelerate delivery across the built environment?
Insights emerging from the Editorial Board will help inform future Business News Wales journalism and content, creating a closer connection between the issues being raised by industry and the editorial coverage reaching businesses and decision-makers across Wales.
