1 July 2009

Professor Malcolm Horner appointed Director of SCC

Emeritus Professor of Engineering Management at the University of Dundee, Professor Malcolm Horner, has been appointed a permanent director of the Scottish Construction Centre (SCC).

The SCC consortium is funded by Scottish Enterprise, led by the Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) and operated by a partnership of BRE Scotland, Glasgow Caledonian University and the University of Dundee.

The SCC, driven by genuine needs within the Scottish construction sector promotes innovation while encouraging best practice, improving research, and developing more fluent communication across the sector.

Professor Horner will work to ensure the implementation of the SCC’s goals, while planning its future strategy, and its associated approach to funding in order to ensure a sustainable future for the centre. He will take up his new role on July 1st, 2009, and this announcement marks the first senior appointment the SCC board has made since its creation in August last year.

He is seconded to the SCC from the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Dundee where he has successfully carried out important industrial and applied research studies whilst leading the department for several years.

Mark Sharp, SCC director of CIRIA, paid tribute to Professor Horner, saying, 'Malcolm has been a fully committed member of the SCC from its inception and is highly respected both within academia and industry.'

'We are delighted that he has accepted this appointment and I am convinced that Malcolm will be taking the centre to new heights as he identifies exciting funding and delivery opportunities for a performance-based approach within the whole of Scotland’s construction sector'.

Professor Horner has a wealth of experience in a wide range of business areas and is highly regarded by senior figures in industry and Government. He is a Fellow of both of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

He leads the Construction Management Research Unit in the Division of Civil Engineering within the University of Dundee, a leading member of the consortium appointed by Scottish Enterprise to establish the SCC.

Professor Horner said he was delighted to be appointed a director of the SCC, and praised its work in helping the Scottish construction industry to further enhance its performance.

'Never has this been more important than during these difficult financial times,' he said.

'Working alongside the Scottish Construction Forum, the Centre provides support to industry and Government in a wide range of activities including Sustainability, Lean Thinking, Whole Life Costing, and Health and Safety, and is rapidly becoming the first port of call for those who require information or advice about the Scottish Construction industry.'

'Its website is increasingly proving to be a source of high quality learning material, which will shortly be augmented by an information portal providing not only immediate advice, but signposting where additional information can be found.'

'Having been associated with the Centre since its inception, I am delighted to take responsibility for ensuring that it becomes a permanent fixture on the Scottish Construction landscape.'

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