Private and public partnerships are key to delivery: RICS learnings from UKREiiF 2026

To deliver sustainable and successful infrastructure across the UK’s built environment, cross sector alignment between industry, government and public sector is needed to break down siloes and perfect the balance needed between regulation and viability. This is the biggest takeaway from our three days at the UK Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF).

Attendance at UKREiiF got RICS in the right rooms having the right conversations, promoting member interests and influencing policy at the highest level. But this is just part of our ongoing advocacy and engagement plans.

RICS will continue speaking with members, advocating for appropriate and proper regulation, and working towards complete alignment across the built environment. Only then can the industry deliver long-lasting, healthy infrastructure that provides true value for local communities, developers and investors.

The RICS studio hosted fifteen sessions at UKREiiF – including roundtables, panel discussions and networking events – bringing together members, fellow professional bodies and leading figures from across the political spectrum and private sector to address the biggest topics in the industry.

Tackling the big issues

Unsurprisingly, it was AI, data and the skills shortage that shaped many of the conversations not just in the RICS studio, but across UKREiiF.

Our events on the subject included a lively roundtable discussion posing the question ‘What will the surveyor of the future look like?’, a deeper exploration into how RICS members need to use AI ethically, and a lunch-and-learn session educating members on the most effective and responsible ways to use AI in their day-to-day roles.

RICS are already addressing the changes in how we interact with data and tech. The Responsible use of AI standard is ensuring RICS members are using AI and data ethically, and the Data and Analytics and Intelligence pilot pathway provides a structured route to ensure the profession can meet the growing demand for expertise in this area.

However, there is so much more to be done in this space, and hearing the thoughts, opinions and concerns of professionals, such as the need for human oversight, the pace at which tech is developing and the feasibility of AI implementation within SMEs, only underlined our commitment to tackling this head on.

Several conversations highlighted the importance of true collaboration across the supply chain to deliver developments fit for purpose, that adhere to regulatory and sustainability standards and provide true social value. Bringing together speakers from the Institutes - CIOB, RIBA and RTPI and other key stakeholders including finance, wellbeing, tech and AI - helps all of us get closer to this ideal in practical and actionable ways. For example, a joint roundtable with CIOB and industry leaders discussing the future of modern methods of construction, explored where success has been achieved, especially in non-domestic settings, and where we still have lessons to learn.

Whether it’s creating truly successful new towns, digitally upskilling the built environment workforce to keep pace with AI or working towards housing, infrastructure and sustainability targets, the key to success will be our ability to collaborate across industry and disciplines.

Advocating for and networking with members

A key reason for our attendance at UKREiiF is to advocate for our profession in the built environment. Over 1,000 guests were welcomed into the RICS studio throughout the week, and several members were also invited to chair our discussions, participate in our panels and lead the conversations shaping the industry.

It was striking to see the number of candidates and students in the RICS space and across the forum. Connecting with and hearing from the next generation of surveyors is essential. There is much to learn from younger generations about the best ways to work with AI and new tech, and how we can promote surveying and other professions in a way that resonates with future talent to address the skills gap properly.

RICS Matrics ran its own fringe event at UKREiiF, and there was plenty of opportunity to connect with education providers and current APC candidates. The enthusiasm for the built environment is there from those aiming to become qualified in the sector, it is the role of RICS and other professional bodies to harness and maximise that.

RICS also led discussion on new towns and stranded assets, exploring in more detail the ways to create real value for investors. What will be vital to that is the ongoing expertise and high standards of professionals such as our members. If we have a workforce that can regenerate assets and build new infrastructure that is long-lasting, healthy and high-quality, we will create a built environment truly worthy of investment.

Influencing change

Through cross-party engagement, including with Labour, Conservative and Reform UK representatives, RICS led solutions-focused discussions on the sector’s most pressing challenges.

In the RICS Studio, we held a private roundtable with Samantha Dixon MBE MP, Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Democracy on the future of building regulation, following the UK government’s proposals earlier that week.  A panel featuring RICS CEO Justin Young alongside Sir James Cleverly MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government explored the realities of delivering the Future Homes Standard and the importance of balancing regulation with viability and delivery targets. RICS Members also engaged directly with Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice, discussing housing delivery, high street renewal and Reform’s vision for the role of regulation in the built and natural environment.

Across these discussions, a clear message emerged: industry and government ambitions, such as the significant 1.5 million homes target, will only be achieved through the expertise and leadership of competent professionals. RICS members are essential to ensuring that housing and infrastructure are delivered safely, sustainably, and to the highest standards, underscoring RICS’ role as a trusted partner in shaping and delivering change.

Turning talk into tangible action

Now is the time to turn the positive, enthusiastic conversation in Leeds into tangible action that benefits the UK built environment, communities, developers and investors. RICS’ position as a convener between industry and government and a regulator of professional standards will be vital as we drive growth and delivery across the UK’s built environment.

As emphasised earlier, RICS will continue using our platform to engage with changemakers, industry leaders and the private sector to push forward the best interests of members and the wider built environment.