On Thursday 12 June 2025, the RICS Scotland Conference convened at the University of Glasgow, within the prestigious Bute Hall under the theme “Collaborating for future success – working together to better the built environment”.

Bringing together industry leaders, public stakeholders, and technical experts, the event featured breakout sessions on supply chain resilience, green-energy infrastructure, addressing the housing shortage, and innovative public–private finance models.

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes MSP and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic delivered an exclusive morning keynote titled “Growth in Scotland – Collaborating at pace across the built environment”. In her address, she highlighted the critical importance of joint working between the Scottish Government and bodies like RICS to accelerate progress toward net zero, promote building safety, enhance retrofit programmes, and streamline infrastructure investment.

Forbes emphasised lessons in collaboration at scale, drawing on recent policy efforts that bring together Scottish Government, local authorities, private developers, and professional institutions, including:  

  • The Home Report Review: A key piece of work that RICS is intrinsically involved in, supporting Scottish Government to develop a revised Home Report fit for the future.
  • Cladding Remediation: feeding into the development of the Single Building Assessment and letters of confirmation to support owners affected by dangerous cladding.
  • RAAC: Working closely with Scottish Government on strengthening the ways we can identify and remediate RAAC, culminating in the development of a RAAC consumer guide alongside IStructE.
  • National Planning Skills Commitment Plan: Collaboration between Scottish Government and young professionals from surveying, planning, architecture and other backgrounds on a number of social and learning events, highlighting the success of Matrics.
     

EPC Reform and Heat and Energy Efficiency Technical Suitability Assessment (HEETSA): Ongoing engagement with Scottish Government on EPC Reforms and the development of HEETSA, with RICS Residential Retrofit Standard referenced prominently as part of the latter’s development.

Her appearance was introduced by RICS Acting President Nicholas Maclean OBE, who called it “a privilege” to hear her perspective on “why we must collaborate to succeed across the built and natural environment sector”.

With the Scottish public and private sectors co‑ordinating more closely on retrofit schemes, infrastructure pipelines, and green-energy investments, the Deputy First Minister’s address highlighted a clearer vision for collaboration. As one attendee noted, this year’s conference reinforced that ‘cross-sector partnerships are essential for Scotland’s economic resilience and environmental goals’.

Chaired by RICS Scotland’s own Professor Norman K. McLennan FRICS (Chair of the Scotland Board), the conference showcased speakers from universities, councils, renewable‑energy bodies, and investment banks to name a few. Delegates praised the event for its “relevant content” and “well‑organised format” featuring both keynote and tailored breakout sessions.

Overall, the 2025 RICS Scotland Conference reaffirmed its role as a nexus for key players in the built environment. Chief among its highlights was Kate Forbes’s keynote, which underscored ambitious plans for deeper collaboration between government and professional bodies - an approach that may well define Scotland’s path to sustainable growth.