Policy, innovation and construction expert Rohan Bush has been appointed to the newly-created role of head of public partnerships & future workforce at Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC).

CSIC was launched in 2014 and helps Scotland’s construction related businesses to innovate, collaborate and grow by matching innovation requirements with business support and academic specialists.

Rohan’s appointment comes as the innovation centre expands its range of services and activities throughout Scotland and internationally. This will include creating partnerships with public sector clients and developing the skills and training opportunities needed to build the workforce of the future.

Rohan’s role will be to lead, develop and implement a range of public sector stakeholder and future workforce partnerships using the full range of CSIC resources to achieve its aim of transforming the construction industry and safeguarding it for the future.

Rohan was promoted to the role after working at CSIC as a business relationship manager since early 2017, where she led on a range of programmes in collaboration with businesses, public sector organisations and universities to drive innovation in Scotland’s construction sector. She has more than 20 years’ experience in a range of public and private sector built environment and construction roles across the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

With a background in sustainable building, low carbon and energy efficiency, as well as housing sector experience, Rohan has managed innovation funds for the Victorian State Government (Australia) and also helped set up the highly successful New Zealand Green Building Council, which provides sustainability services and products to over 300 member organisations.

Rohan’s particular interest is the intersection between innovation and strategy, an expertise which she aims to use in delivering on the objectives of her new role.

She said: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working at CSIC and have fallen in love with Scotland. When this role came up, requiring all the skills and personal networks I possess, I jumped at the opportunity to spearhead such an important new direction for CSIC. I believe the future of Scottish construction is bright, particularly if we collaborate across the private and public sector divide while ensuring the industry we are building is both futureproof and aspirational.”

Stephen Good, chief executive at CSIC, said: “Rohan has been a great asset to the team since taking up her initial post with us in 2017, having challenged and inspired us while being integral to a range of exciting new partnerships and initiatives. She applied for and won this role as part of a larger recruitment process and I am delighted that the appointment panel saw the same talent, expertise and positive energy that we have been privileged enough to work alongside for the past year. I am confident Rohan will have a massive and positive impact for Scotland in this strategic remit and look forward supporting her in it.”

CSIC has recently called on Scotland’s construction businesses to put forward their proposals for how automation could be used to improve construction processes, with the chance to receive up to £10,000 worth of funding and support to test their ideas. More information is available at www.cs-ic.org.