You are cordially invited to attend ProBE’s 2025 Annual Research Symposium discussing retrofit and housing policy, construction challenges, women in construction and much more.
As climate change accelerates and the urgent need for good quality, energy efficient and genuinely affordable housing intensifies, the ProBE 2025 Annual Research Symposium explores the critical intersections of sustainability, equity, and labour in shaping the built environment. Key contributions include Chris Hinchliff MP on national housing and retrofit policies, Peter Bonfield on adaptive strategies for climate change in housing, Linda Clarke and Fernando Duran-Palma on the promises and limitations of Industry 5.0, and Abdullahi Saka on the evolving role and reach of artificial intelligence in construction. These are followed by a session on gender equity in the construction industry, with presentations by Rosa Schiano-Phan, Linda Clarke, Vivian Price, and Noreen Buckley examining the experiences, contributions, and ongoing challenges faced by women in construction, as well as their efforts to transform the sector. By engaging with both technological innovation and social issues, the symposium aims to advance dialogue and practice toward a more just, sustainable, and inclusive built environment. The symposium is open to all, including practitioners, academics, researchers, policymakers, employers and unions.
Please book your ticket before 1pm on Tuesday, 8 July 2025.
For further information, please email Anca Zahan - [email protected].
Programme
10-10.30am: Registration and refreshments
10.30-10.45am: Welcome and introduction by Kate Cheyne
Session 1: Innovation, Sustainability and Social Relations of Production - Chaired by Rosa Schiano-Phan
10.45-11.30am: Housing, Retrofit and Climate Change by Chris Hinchliff MP
11.30am-12 noon: Adapting to Climate Change by Peter Bonfield, Vice-Chancellor and President
12 noon-12.30pm: Transitioning to Industry 5.0 in the Built Environment: The Case of Scaffolding by Linda Clarke and Fernando Duran-Palma
12.30-1pm: Intelligent Production in the Built Environment: The Role and Reach of AI by Abdullahi Saka
1-2pm: Lunch
Session 2: Women in construction - Chaired by Dan Greenwood
2-2.30pm: Breaking Barriers and Building Better by Rosa Schiano-Phan and Linda Clarke
2.30-3pm: The voices of women in construction by Vivian Price
3-3.30pm: Tradeswomen Building Bridges Game Changers by Noreen Buckley
3.30-4pm: Wrap up and announcements
