A Holistic View of Barriers to Innovation in Australian Construction

Abstract—Innovation in the construction industry has been acknowledged as a challenge. Much of the research has been focused in a particular area of concern such as in the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector or the relationship between the manufacturing supply company and the contractor. This paper describes a holistic approach with the pilot research examining if organisations from across the design and construction business in Australia believe innovation is important for the industry and further explores the forces that hinder innovation. The research findings appear to be consistent with much of the previous research however also reveal the prevailing sources of barriers to innovation adoption. Common themes made salient include the view by participants that rather than offering benefits, innovations were considered sources for potential failure. Construction professionals also see innovation as an expense due to the cost of having an innovation certified for use in Australia and high wages for skilled workers. Such contradictions perpetuate a risk-adverse, conservative approach to construction.