Abstract/Summary

This chapter takes the stance that enacting sustainability toward the year 2050 will require innovation and change within current materials, digital technologies, processes and working practices. In doing so, it brings into focus the need to understand sustained innovation uptake within the construction sector rather than focusing upon the innovative act. To gain an understanding of this, attention is given to the levels of analysis available from which to view the subject. Central to the argument developed is the notion that firms rarely innovative in isolation and that for the uptake of an innovation to be sustained networks of stakeholders must work together, either knowingly or unknowingly. It is essential to gain a greater understanding of how all associated stakeholders operate in a market network and the potential impact this has on the uptake of innovations. The shape of such networks plays a role in sustained innovation uptake. Gaining an understanding of this now will help us shape the networks of the future, which can ensure sustained innovation uptake towards 2050.