UK Government invests £72m in VR tech to revolutionise the construction sector

The UK Government has pledged £72m investment for the creation of a new Core Innovation Hub with a goal of using VR tech to revolutionise the construction industry.

While Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality technologies are perhaps most associated with gaming, they're already establishing themselves as vital tools for the automotive and manufacturing industries. The technology can be used to visualise prototypes and designs in a more immersive way than has previously been possible, and allows designers to spot problems earlier that would be costly to fix further down the line.

This week the Business and Industry Minister Richard Harrington announced approval for a £72m investment in this emerging tech with the creation of the Core Innovation Hub. The new hub will become a center for the development of innovative new applications for all emerging technologies with the goal of transforming the manufacturing and construction sectors.

The Core Innovation Hub is a joint venture between Watford's Building Research Establishment, the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry, and Cambridge University's Centre for Digital Built Britain. Business and Industry Minister Richard Harrington said of the scheme: "We have the opportunity to revolutionise construction in the UK and the Core Innovation Hub will help us build smarter, greener and more efficient buildings much faster and cheaper than we do now."