Editor profile
Senior Editor, Urban Infrastructure
Alistair Vance investigates urban infrastructure systems, including transportation hubs, energy grids, and smart city networks. He tracks the modernization of public assets worldwide.
alistair.vance@engineeringbrief.orgIn the second quarter of 2026, capital investment in industrial, manufacturing, and supply chain projects in the southeastern United States remained strong, with 375 new projects totaling over $23.7 billion, covering fields such as automotive, aerospace, data centers, and others.
Cascade platform uses artificial intelligence to automatically find and bid on projects for architecture, engineering, and construction companies. It recently secured a $3.5 million seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz Speedrun. The technology is expected to transform the efficiency and transparency of project acquisition in the engineering and construction industry.
Analyze how hard-to-abate industries such as steel, cement, aviation, and shipping achieve net-zero emissions through localization strategies, innovation centers, and global energy market transformation, and discuss the challenges of technology deployment and scaling.
UK engineering contractor Laing O'Rourke has announced the expansion of its two prefabrication manufacturing facilities, increasing production space and advancing automation and digitalization to support the development of its industrialized construction model.
U.S. construction economic data for May 2026 shows that data center construction has become a major growth engine, while other private projects remain weak. This article analyzes industry trends and challenges.
The new all-electric large-scale timber municipal hall in Northglenn, Colorado, USA has completed its performance verification period and is applying for CORE certification from the International Living Future Institute. If approved, the project will become the first CORE certified project in Colorado and one of the first municipal buildings in the United States to receive this certification.
According to the latest IndexBox report, the global construction resin market is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 3.8% from 2026 to 2035, with infrastructure renewal, green building regulations, and urbanization as key drivers.
According to a study commissioned by Bentley Systems and conducted by Verdantix, over 70% of energy and infrastructure organizations plan to increase investment in digital twins in the next two years, and the application of AI in asset inspection and fault prediction is rapidly expanding.
The UK government has released its consultation response on the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) for non-domestic buildings, postponing the EPC B rating deadline to 2031, exempting small buildings, and canceling the 2027 interim target. This move provides building owners and tenants with more preparation time, but the industry remains concerned that the pace of retrofitting still needs to accelerate.
Nature Reviews Materials published a study indicating that supply-side technologies alone cannot rapidly achieve decarbonization of bulk materials, and demand-side innovations (material efficiency, sufficiency, social engagement) must become core strategies. This has profound implications for the global construction and infrastructure industries.
Scotland Excel has launched the second-generation Engineering and Technical Consultancy Framework, expected to be worth £160 million over four years, to support councils across Scotland in procuring specialist engineering services in areas such as roads, transport, drainage, geotechnical, coastal, and project management.