It’s been a decade since the organisation was founded as Scotland’s national innovation centre for construction and the built environment by the Scottish Funding Council and the Scottish Government.

Over the past year, BE-ST has been reflecting and speaking with the colleagues, collaborators and stakeholders who made it all possible, culminating in an event last week where each of their contributions was celebrated. Attendees talked about the things they’ve learned, the connections they’ve made, and the impact they’ve created.

Since its launch in 2014 as the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre, BE-ST has grown into a hub for innovation, collaboration, and transformation. Over the past decade, it has worked with stakeholders and partners to deliver over 565 projects, help generate £1.8 billion in additional revenue, create 5,286 jobs, and upskill nearly 7,000 people.

It has also supported the introduction of 646 new products and services to the market.

BE-ST’s impact goes beyond just numbers. It has made significant progress in mass timber manufacturing, including a focus on mainstreaming homegrown mass timber and on increasing awareness and competency in retrofit and energy efficiency. Meanwhile, BE-ST Fest has become a key date in the sector calendar, drawing over 1,500 attendees ready to make connections across the sector and focus on how to come together to achieve a net-zero carbon built environment.

More importantly, as it looks forward, BE-ST’s mission is still as clear and urgent as ever. The organisation knows that achieving net zero in the built environment is a global challenge, and is committed to playing a central role in this journey. The opening of Scotland’s National Retrofit Centre earlier this year and embarking on a journey to deep retrofit the A Lab building at its campus, demonstrate its commitment to creating the platforms the sector needs to accelerate its transition to net-zero carbon.

2024 also marks a new phase of infrastructure investment for BE-ST, ensuring its long-term ability to support the sector and confront the pressing issues facing the construction industry. BE-ST also remains committed to working with the Scottish Funding Council and its host university, Edinburgh Napier University, to create transformational collaborations between universities, colleges, and the public and private sector.

By embracing its core values - innovation, openness, challenging the status quo, connecting people, and being game-changers - BE-ST said it will continue to lead by example, supporting businesses, communities, and individuals as it works towards building a better future for the built environment and citizens.

Stephen Good, CEO at BE-ST, said: “While businesses and governments around the world deliberate about the challenges of decarbonising our built environment, BE-ST remains focused on supporting those who understand that we need to act now, with pace, and at scale.

“Innovation is never straightforward, but we’ve built a team that thrives on finding solutions, challenging the status quo, and collaborating across sectors. We believe in leading from the front, taking risks, learning from our mistakes, and trying again. The next decade will bring no shortage of challenges, but driven by our mission, values, and the incredible team at BE-ST, we’re only just getting started.”

Find out more about the last ten years and the future at BE-ST here.