By linking into the leading expertise of universities, colleges, research and  other built environment experts, BE-ST provides the connections and culture to conceive and activate transformative ideas. 

Businesses big and small can work together with these institutions when you work on a project with us. 

We work with all of Scotland’s universities and colleges, who provide world-class expertise, and connect to them with businesses, organisations and individuals in the built environment ecosystem to bring these ideas to life. 

We support R&D projects between industry and academia and help find the financial backing to make them happen. 

Along with Balfour Beatty, a team of academia and industry partners with BE-ST created a 3D immersive environment of University of Strathclyde’s new Learning & Teaching building, minimising the need for quantity surveyors and health and safety inspectors to be physically present at a site. Read more about the collaboration here. 

SMEs also build a better business-case for decisions and investment through evidence-based testing and proof of concept by working with universities, as shown by arbnco’s work with us. After BE-ST helped fund the initial academic led research for their digital sensing system, arbnco went on to secure a deal with the University of California, Davis and win CIBSE's Building Performance Awards: Wellbeing Product of the Year in 2020. 

Academia and industry can also work together to developing new ground-breaking materials. On this half a million project, BAM Ritchies is working together with University of Strathclyde and BE-ST to produce a low-carbon alternative to the use of cement in ground works, river embankments and coastal defences.

BE-ST works in different ways with different types of organisation.  Explore our website to get a full picture of all our different areas of work.