Wales hit the headlines last week when Minister for Economy, Science and Transport Edwina Hart announced that the Welsh Government had given the go ahead to a new £1bn motorway to relieve the M4 bottleneck at Newport. Whilst politically there are issues to be debated about the choice of the ‘black route’ this is, as predicted by us a few weeks ago, a tremendous boost to the Welsh construction industry.

No matter which route is chosen; or how much adjusting is needed or environmental concerns accommodated – our engineers, planners, designers, builders and consultants have the proven skills and commitment to deliver on the scheme. What’s more – done right, it will add long term value to the Welsh economy as a whole, not just the immediate Newport area.

But landmark schemes like these reinforce the need for CEW and our stakeholders to make the case for best practice. It is why showcasing the CEW Award winners in last week’s special supplement in the Western Mail is not just advertising, but campaigning for a wider commitment to collaborative working. It is also why we are investing time in making the connection between young industry professionals via G4C Wales and the key decision makers in the private and public sector. The key reasons for our work are easy to find on our website, but why not check the Treasury reports issued last week indicating how delivering Infrastructure collaboratively saves a minimum of 15%. Now, that is a headline.