The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) have called for more recognition and praise to recognise what a good job the UK construction industry has done on the facilities for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

The CIOB have described the Olympics as one of “the UK’s most important and iconic regeneration developments of the 21st Century”, with CIOB Chief Executive Chris Blythe saying:

“The closest praise so far have been back-handed compliments that ‘at least it’s not another Wembley’, with only the architecture drawing any sort of recognition. Yet it’s the people of UK construction who have turned those five-ringed dreams into reality.

The UK should be proud of its construction industry for creating a landmark development on time, on budget, and with an excellent health and safety record in tough economic times and with a barrage of complexity.

The bigger picture at play here is that whilst UK construction is quietly, frustratingly so, delivering an eye-popping regeneration project it is setting new standards along the way. The truth is the Olympics are just a small part of what the construction industry delivers every day. The professional expertise within our industry is exported all over the world and it still leads the way.”

The Olympic Games in London has definitely had a big impact on the UK construction industry and created thousands of jobs at a time when the industry was struggling from the recession. 98% of the facilities for the Games have been built by British companies. That is almost £6bn worth of business, or 1,400 contracts, that have been directly awarded to UK companies as well as thousands more businesses further down the supply chain. Altogether an estimated 75,000 firms have won work related to the 2012 Olympics.

Following on from the work on the Olympics, the CIOB believe UK contractors can have an impact abroad, with CIOB chief Chris Blythe saying:

“So while we naturally focus on London 2012 lets not forget the myriad of projects up and down the country and across the world that are delivered to world class standards. Brazil 2016 will have a hard act to follow, but it will be made easier because no doubt UK construction will be involved there too.”