NewsAurecon named AFR BOSS 2023 Most Innovative Professional Services Company

Aurecon Global Chief Executive Officer William Cox said that this recognition reflected the long-term commitment the firm had made in amplifying impact through innovation.

“Innovation is at the heart of everything we do at Aurecon, and we are thrilled to see the progress we continue to make in this space. From our technical mastery accelerator program, the Aurecon Design Academy; to Futures Research that interprets, analyses and responds to signals of change; and our Applied Research on ‘live’ projects, innovation is part of our DNA.

“Boola Katitjin is a living example of a research thesis on using robotics in construction that started in the Aurecon Design Academy and was brought to life, along with innovations in timber design, in collaboration with our client Murdoch University and project partners, on a ‘live’ project,” Mr Cox said.

In a world-first, Aurecon partnered with Murdoch University and University of Technology Sydney to develop, build and deploy a robotics trial on site to demonstrate the robot’s capability of installing screw fittings on Murdoch University’s Boola Katitjin, Western Australia’s first mass-engineered timber building. The long-term objective of the robotics trial was to prove that the modular nature of timber construction could benefit from construction automation to increase productivity, reduce cost, improve workers’ OH&S and advance innovation in the construction industry.

Elaborating on Aurecon’s approach to innovation, Amanda Good, Director, Innovation and Futures at Aurecon said, “At Aurecon, we bring a pragmatic approach to innovation with experimentation and co-creation central to the process. We validate, learn, and shape alongside our clients and partners, giving our innovations the best chance of success. We maintain an experimental approach to both what we innovate, and how.”

“As one of the oldest and largest industries globally, the construction industry can benefit significantly from innovation, especially when it comes to workforces, materials and construction techniques,” she said.

“We proved that automation technologies can play a critical role in transforming the construction industry and supporting the scaled growth of MET as a sustainable building material in the sector, for the benefit of industry, people and the planet.”

The AFR BOSS Most Innovative Companies List ranked the most innovative organisations from across industries in Australia and New Zealand. The competition was judged and compiled by Inventium – Australia’s leading innovation consultancy. In 2023, more than 700 businesses across Australia and New Zealand entered the competition.

This is the fourth accolade Aurecon has received in 2023 from the Australian Financial Review, adding to the following:

• Winner of the Construction, Engineering, Manufacturing & Transport industry category in The Australian Financial Review’s Digital Transformation Leaders list
• Ranked top five in Australian Financial Review’s Sustainability Leaders list
• Named Australia’s Most Popular Engineering Employer in the Australian Financial Review’s Top 100 Graduate Employers awards.

The Boola Katitjin project has received numerous other awards, including Outstanding Project of the Year in the small to medium category at the International Federation of Consulting Engineers awards.