Biosite is a market leader in innovative technology systems designed to manage workforces and improve productivity and compliance in the construction industry. Its digital solutions capture real-time data to help increase operational efficiency, improve health and safety, and ensure people have the right level of skills on work sites.
Since securing contracts with HS2’s enabling works contractor CSJV (Costain, Skanska) in 2017, in the last year Biosite has gone on to secure further work with HS2’s main works civils joint ventures EKFB (Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial, BAM Nuttall) and Align (Bouyges Travaux Publics, Volkerfitzpatrick, Sir Robert McAlpine).
Biosite’s technology solutions provide a range of benefits to HS2. They give construction site teams the ability to conduct mobile health and skills checks, to ensure workers are qualified to access sites (or hazardous areas of sites), and that their qualifications and health checks are up to date. They are also supporting HS2’s response to COVID-19, with Biosite’s Online Induction system tailored to track specific coronavirus health and safety training, as well as saving valuable time on site from having a consistent onboarding process that can take place off site, in advance.
The number of apprentices, professional employees and people returning to the workplace following unemployment is also tracked, ensuring that opportunities continue to be provided for these groups. It also captures anonymised Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) data to help contractors support HS2’s commitment that all employees are fairly represented and have equality of opportunity to thrive in the workplace.
Biosite employs around 150 people from the Solihull and the West Midlands, who work across dedicated production, engineering, software development, installation, service and support teams. It is one of over 2,000 businesses now working on HS2, with UK-based businesses making up 98% of contracts, 70% SMEs and over 1,000 direct SME contracts.
During a visit to HS2’s Interchange station site earlier this month, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that construction is now formally underway on the project, and is set to create around 22,000 new jobs, including 7,000 in the West Midlands. HS2 Ltd itself is already directly recruiting for 500 new roles over the next three months, with the majority based in Birmingham, as the project moves into the construction phase.
HS2’s Commercial and Procurement Director David Poole said:
“HS2 is the most important economic regeneration project in Britain for decades, and we are already seeing the benefits that building HS2 is bringing to the UK economy, with companies such as Biosite winning work and supporting local jobs and apprenticeships.
“Businesses and employees in every region of the UK are helping to build HS2, with multiple large-scale HS2 construction sites between London and Birmingham creating and sustaining thousands of jobs. Biosite’s bespoke software solutions for HS2 are helping us to maximise performance and compliance, ensuring people have the right level of skills, and keeping thousands of workers safe as we build Britain’s new railway.”
Li Wang, Managing Director at Biosite Systems, said:
“Our aim at Biosite is to support the digital transformation of the construction industry, by being innovators in developing technology and software solutions that give customers peace of mind they are in control of their sites. We are working with multiple HS2 contractors across the enabling and main works programmes to provide tailored solutions for compliance and health and safety that work effectively and consistently across projects.
“As a Solihull-based manufacturer and technology company, we are proud to be part of this flagship project and represent the region as a local HS2 partner. Our work with HS2 has provided reassurances about job security, and the pipeline of work has enabled us to make long term investments to ensure we can continue to provide the best solutions for our customers.”
Paul Faulkner, CEO of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce said:
“The transformational impact of HS2 cannot be underestimated and its construction could not be more timely as we emerge from this unprecedented crisis. It’s heartening to see local firms such as Biosite are able to display their innovative working methods in order to contribute to a project which will have a profound impact on our region and the country as a whole.
“As a business membership organisation which represents over three thousand firms across Greater Birmingham, we will continue to work closely with local businesses to ensure they are primed to take advantage of the multitude of employment and supply chain opportunities this once in a generation programme will create”.
Jobs and apprenticeships are being released on HS2’s construction partners’ websites and will also be promoted through employment partnerships with local authorities and specialist employment support agencies.
Businesses can find out about the huge amount of new HS2 contract opportunities available for many different products and services on the CompeteFor portal: https://www.competefor.com/hs2/
ENDS
