Construction Scotland is set to launch a new initiative to help Scottish construction businesses boost their profits by improving their productivity and efficiency.

A collaboration between Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC), Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service, Zero Waste Scotland and Skills Development Scotland, the Profit Through Productivity programme of workshops, activities and events will start in October 2016 and will cover topics from manufacturing and operations efficiency to organisational development and leadership. Companies will be able to select elements from this bespoke programme that are relevant to their individual business.­

Full details of the new scheme will be unveiled at Construction Scotland and CSIC’s joint conference and industry showcase on Wednesday 13 September at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow. The event, which will be the largest construction conference in Scotland, will bring together hundreds of the industry’s key influencers and decision makers from construction businesses of all sizes.

The event will feature a thought provoking, informative and interesting range of talks, collaborative discussions and interactive exhibits to encourage Scotland’s construction businesses, clients and stakeholders to improve their competitiveness, embrace change and innovate to capitalise on the industry’s world renowned strengths and deliver further growth.

Ken Gillespie, MD of Galliford Try and a member of Construction Scotland’s Industry Leadership Group, will chair one of the key sessions at the conference focusing on building profit and productivity. The session will also feature Ian Ballentine, executive procurement director at Heathrow Airport, John Forster, chairman of Forster Group, Lynsey Lennon, performance team leader – alliance management at Scottish Water.

Delegates will also learn about differentiating through innovation, digitisation and BIM (building information modelling), and will also be able to learn about the progress of Construction Scotland and the Innovation Centre and their exciting plans for the future.

Workshops will feature many topical issues including delivering the Scottish Government’s target of 50,000 new homes and rethinking public procurement. Additionally, new forms of support to help construction businesses seize new opportunities will be announced at the conference.

The event will be hosted by BBC Reporting Scotland’s David Henderson, and speakers will include Jim McColl OBE who will share his insights on growth through change and innovation. Michael Dall, lead construction economist at Barbour ABI will also discuss future prospects for the industry.

Stephen Good, chief executive of Construction Scotland Innovation Centre, said: “These may be rather uncertain times for the construction industry, but the best thing a business can do to secure its future is to have a positive attitude, look ahead and think about how it can do things differently and more efficiently. Our event will share tips and tricks on how to be more productive, and improve profitability, and it doesn’t matter whether you are a very small company or a major contractor, these messages are crucial to absolutely everyone.”

Ed Monaghan, chair of Construction Scotland, said: “The construction sector is such a vital part of our economy here in Scotland that it is in everyone’s best interests for it to thrive. If you work in the construction industry, you will know the challenges we face. Continual improvement is the name of the game in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, and ultimately improved profitability.

“Construction Scotland’s Profit through Productivity initiative is here to help you and your business do just that. I’d urge everyone in the construction industry to get along to the Conference to not only find out all about this programme and how they can get involved with it, but also learn from some top industry experts and network with hundreds of construction peers.”

Registration and attendance at the event is free. Workshop spaces are limited and are filling up fast, so register at www.cs-ic.org/2016event as soon as possible to guarantee a place.