Could Modular Living Be the Future of UK Housing?

Rising costs, limited supply and changing lifestyles are forcing the UK to rethink what “home” really means, and modular living is quickly moving from niche idea to serious business opportunity.

For years, the traditional housing model has struggled to keep pace. Property prices remain stubbornly high, rents continue climbing, and new-build developments can take years to move from planning approval to completion.

For buyers, renters, landowners and developers alike, frustration is growing.

The big question is no longer simply “How do we build more homes?” but “How do we build smarter ones?”

Across the UK, people are starting to challenge old assumptions. Do we really need bigger homes, or just better-designed spaces? Does every development need years of disruption and heavy infrastructure? And can modern living work beyond the limits of traditional bricks and mortar?

The answer, increasingly, looks like yes.

A new wave of design-led modular living is stepping into the spotlight, offering faster, more flexible alternatives to conventional construction.

Capsule Whales is one of the businesses helping drive that shift. The company develops compact modular capsule units designed for both residential and hospitality use, offering an approach that prioritises speed, flexibility and smart design over sheer size.

Unlike traditional housing developments, modular units can be delivered and installed far more quickly. Their smaller footprint and efficient layouts make them suitable for everything from private garden spaces and additional land use to boutique resorts, glamping sites and short-term rental investments.

This is particularly attractive at a time when tourism and hospitality are seeing rising demand for unique, design-focused accommodation, especially in natural and remote locations.

Founder Andrius Milašius believes the change is being driven by both practicality and mindset.

“There is a growing frustration with how slow and restrictive the traditional system can be,” he explained to That's Business. 

“At the same time, people are realising they don’t necessarily need more space, they need better, smarter and more flexible space.”

One of the biggest game changers is off-grid capability.

By combining modular units with renewable energy, battery storage, water generation, recycling systems and independent waste solutions, developers can create functional living spaces without relying heavily on existing infrastructure.

That opens up huge opportunities for underused land, eco-tourism projects and scalable housing concepts in locations once considered impractical.

For landowners, it also creates a fresh route to income generation, with faster deployment, phased expansion and lower upfront commitment than major construction projects.

As consumer demand shifts towards privacy, nature, experience and design, modular living is no longer just an interesting concept.

It is becoming a serious business model.

The future of housing may not be bigger.

It may simply be smarter.

http://www.capsulewhales.com

Stop Pricing the Wrong Jobs: How AI Is Helping Builders Bid Smarter

For many UK construction firms, tendering can feel a bit like buying a lottery ticket, except each ticket costs dozens of hours and a small fortune in staff time.

Now, Gurler Mae Group is hoping to change that with the launch of ConstructionKit, a new AI-powered pre-tender intelligence platform designed to help contractors work out whether a job's actually worth bidding for before they sink time into pricing it.

And frankly, it sounds like something the industry has needed for years.

ConstructionKit pulls together data from 417 local planning authority portals, alongside sources like Contracts Finder, Find a Tender, DEFRA ecology databases, Environment Agency flood risk records, and Historic England records.

In simple terms, it gives estimators and quantity surveyors a much clearer picture of a project before they even open the drawings.

Instead of blindly diving into a bid, the platform uses AI to assess commercial construction projects across England for risk, ecology concerns, funding visibility, and likely margin sensitivity.

That means contractors can quickly spot red flags early, before they’ve burned 60 hours of senior estimator time on something that was never likely to be profitable in the first place.

And that matters.

Industry figures suggest the average competitive tender win rate for UK contractors sits somewhere between one in eight and one in twelve. That is a lot of lost time, especially for SME contractors with turnovers between £2 million and £20 million, where every estimating hour counts.

Emre Gurler, founder of Gurler Mae Group and ConstructionKit, puts it bluntly.

He told That's Business: “The construction industry has had access to project data for years. But data alone does not solve the problem. Contractors do not need more projects to look at. They need to know which ones are worth bidding on.”

That’s the real issue.

More leads aren't the answer. Better decisions are.

ConstructionKit’s own analysis of over 310 commercial projects found only 41% had full planning consent, clean ecology surveys, and a clearly identifiable funding source.

The other 59%? Packed with risks many firms only uncover after they’ve already committed serious estimating resources.

That's not inefficiency, that's expensive guesswork.

The platform is available on subscription, starting from £199 per month, with a Commercial Founding Member rate of £349 per month.

Alongside the paid platform, the company has also launched three free resources for the sector: a Pre-Tender Bid Qualification Checklist, a monthly UK Pre-Tender Intelligence Report, and the Construction Scoreboard, a free diagnostic tool designed to help firms identify their biggest commercial bottleneck.

In a sector where margins are tight and wasted time is expensive, bidding smarter may be far more valuable than simply bidding more.

To learn more visit getconstructionkit.com.

Cirrus named NiCE UK&I AI Partner of the Year

Cirrus has been named as UK&I AI Partner of the Year by NiCE, the global leader in AI-powered platforms, at its 2026 NiCE EMEA Partner Summit in Marrakech, Morocco.

Cirrus, the UK-based contact centre transformation specialist, was recognised for excellence in helping organisations adopt artificial intelligence (AI) and automation within customer service functions, with the judging panel noting its strong performance throughout 2025.

The team secured more CX AI deals for NiCE AI products in the UK and Ireland than any other partner across the year, including the largest CX AI deal in the region, and a high-profile contract with the UK’s largest local authority.

Jason Roos, CEO of Cirrus, told That's Business: “This is a big moment for us, and worthy recognition for our team who’ve worked tirelessly to grow our business. Our blossoming partnership with NiCE has strengthened what we can deliver for customers at a time when many organisations are looking for a trusted pair of hands to help them deploy CX AI with confidence.”

“We take pride in doing things differently and this award reflects the momentum we’ve built as a distinctive offer in the market. It speaks to the success we’ve had with customers, and the strength of our joint story with NiCE. We were up against some really established competition for this award and are really chuffed to have come out on top.”

Darren Rushworth, President, NiCE International, added: “Cirrus has demonstrated exceptional leadership and execution in bringing AI-powered customer experience solutions to market. Their ability to drive meaningful outcomes for customers, combined with a strong commitment to innovation, makes them a truly deserving recipient of the NiCE UK&I AI Partner of the Year award. We are proud to partner with a team that consistently delivers impact and helps organisations unlock the full potential of CX AI.”

Cirrus’ CXone journey with NiCE began in November 2024, and they were named as NiCE Game Changer Partner of the Year for 2025.

They were later awarded Platinum Partner status by NiCE in February 2026 in recognition of their performance within the NiCE 360 SUCCEED Program for 2025.

The Platinum tier represents the highest level of partnership within the NiCE ecosystem and is awarded to organisations that demonstrate sustained delivery quality, customer success, and commitment to long-term value.

Why More Businesses Are Turning to Device as a Service

Buying laptops, phones and workplace tech the old-fashioned way can be painfully expensive. 

Large upfront costs, shipping headaches, endless setup time and replacement delays all add up fast, and IT teams often end up spending more time chasing hardware than driving innovation.

That's why more organisations are looking seriously at Device as a Service (DaaS), and according to a new Total Economic Impact™ study from Forrester Consulting, the financial case is hard to ignore.

Commissioned by devicenow, the study found a global business with 30,000 employees could achieve an impressive 89% return on investment over three years by switching from traditional device purchasing to a DaaS model.

Even better, the projected net present value came in at €16.2 million.

And that's not pocket change.

Goodbye Big Hardware Bills

Traditionally, companies buy devices outright, often paying around €1,000 per device before even thinking about shipping, international transfers and setup costs. Depending on where those devices are going, logistics alone can add another €120 to €500 per unit.

It quickly becomes a budgeting nightmare.

With DaaS, businesses move to a subscription-based model where hardware, support and lifecycle services are bundled into a monthly cost. No giant capital expenditure spikes. No surprise replacement panic. No finance director quietly weeping into a spreadsheet.

Forrester estimates this approach could save organisations €27.1 million over three years in avoided hardware procurement and logistics costs alone.

Freeing Up IT Teams

Ask most IT departments what they would rather do: strategically improve systems or spend hours staging laptops and chasing returns, and the answer is rarely “more laptop admin, please.”

Traditional ownership models mean internal IT teams handle provisioning, setup, support and end-of-life processing for every device. That can mean around 6.5 hours of work per device.

Under a DaaS model, much of that workload shifts to the provider.

The result? Around €4.6 million in IT operational savings over three years, plus more time for IT teams to focus on projects that actually move the business forward.

Less Downtime, Happier Staff

Broken, lost or stolen devices are inevitable. The real problem is how long it takes to replace them.

Under traditional procurement models, replacement can take around eight days. With DaaS, that drops to roughly two.

That faster turnaround cuts employee downtime by around 75%, recovering an estimated €2.7 million in productivity over three years.

In simple terms: fewer frustrated employees, fewer missed deadlines, and fewer “my laptop died” excuses.

As Christin Wehrstedt put it to That's Business: "DaaS helps businesses reduce complexity, stabilise costs and let IT teams focus on higher-value work."

Which sounds a lot better than arguing over who forgot to order the replacement chargers.

You can download the full study: https://devicenow.com/forrester-tei

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Why Industrial Heat Pumps Are Becoming Big Business

For years, industrial heating has been one of the biggest hidden contributors to carbon emissions. 

Behind factories, paper mills, chemical plants and large-scale heating networks, vast amounts of energy are still being generated using fossil fuels.

In fact, over 70% of industrial process heat worldwide still relies on traditional carbon-heavy sources.

That, however, is starting to change.

Innomotics is pushing hard into one of the most important areas of industrial decarbonisation: industrial heat pumps.

Unlike the small domestic heat pumps homeowners are becoming familiar with, industrial heat pumps operate on a much larger scale. They recover ambient heat or waste heat from existing processes and upgrade it into usable high-temperature heat — in some cases up to 150°C. That means businesses can recycle energy they would otherwise lose, dramatically improving efficiency while cutting emissions.

The commercial argument is just as strong as the environmental one.

Heat pumps can deliver several times more thermal output than the electrical energy they consume, making them one of the most efficient heating technologies available. When powered by renewable electricity, carbon emissions can be reduced to near zero. At the same time, operators benefit from lower running costs, reduced maintenance, and system availability as high as 99.9%.

That combination of green credentials and financial savings is exactly why major industrial players are paying attention.

One standout example is in the Netherlands, where the country’s largest heat pump system recovers heat daily from 65 million litres of treated wastewater. 

Powered by Innomotics drive systems, the project supplies district heating to around 20,000 households, covers roughly 15% of regional heat demand, and cuts CO₂ emissions by around 30,000 tonnes every year.

In Germany, the company is also supplying key technology for what is being described as the world’s most powerful industrial heat pump at BASF’s Ludwigshafen site. The system is expected to generate up to 500,000 tonnes of steam annually, a major step forward for industrial electrification.

Further projects in France and Finland are proving the same point: waste heat is no longer waste if you have the right infrastructure to capture it.

As Michael Reichle, CEO of Innomotics, puts it, industrial heat pumps are becoming “a key technology for the energy transition,” helping businesses become both more efficient and more sustainable.

In short, decarbonisation is no longer just an environmental issue, it is rapidly becoming a competitive business advantage. And for industry, heat pumps may be one of the smartest investments of the decade.

http://www.innomotics.com

WDM and Metricell Collaborate to Deliver PAS 2161-Compliant Road Condition Surveying

W.D.M. Limited (WDM), a global leader in highway surveying and asset management solutions, has announced a new collaboration with SmartVision, a cutting-edge AI insight technology developed by Metricell. 

The partnership brings together strategic highway surveying expertise and a proprietary neural network designed to operate on real-time data, to support local authorities with PAS 2161 compliant road condition monitoring reporting.

By combining WDM’s long-established leadership in highway surveying and asset management solutions, with the pioneering SmartVision AI platform, the two organisations will deliver innovative, scalable surveying services. 

This collaborative solution will meet the requirements of the new PAS 2161 road condition monitoring standard, helping highway authorities transition confidently to the new national approach whilst retaining the granular objective data collected by WDM’s Road Assessment Vehicles (RAV) which operate to the SCANNER specification.

The introduction of PAS 2161 marks a significant change in how road condition data is collected and reported across English Local Authorities. 

Through this collaboration, WDM and SmartVision will provide customers with a comprehensive solution that combines engineering expertise with cutting-edge technology, merging detailed survey expertise with AI Innovation.

WDM demonstrates decades of experience in highway surveying and strategic road management planning. Utilising its modular software platform, Highways Infrastructure Asset Management System, the company has long supported highway authorities with data-driven insights that inform maintenance prioritisation, resource allocation and safety improvements across road networks.

SmartVision’s advanced artificial intelligence capabilities uses computer vision models to analyse road surface conditions and infrastructure assets from captured imagery, delivering the analysed data through the SmartVision platform. The system can automatically detect and classify defects and features across the highway network, providing scalable and efficient inspection capabilities.

By combining these complementary strengths, the collaboration enables an effective approach to PAS 2161 data collection, which pairs engineering principles and survey strategy with automated analytics and digital inspection tools.

As local authorities adapt to the new national standard, reliable and consistent road condition data will be vital to support decision-making and reporting requirements, as well as targeting the most essential works and justifying cost.

The WDM / SmartVision collaboration supports Local Authorities through the transition to PAS 2161 enabling access to PAS 2161 compliant survey data supported by both specialist highway engineering knowledge and advanced AI analysis. 

This approach helps ensure that condition assessments remain accurate, repeatable, and scalable across networks while maintaining confidence in results used to inform national statistics and maintenance planning.

Beyond compliance, the partnership reflects a wider focus, ensuring that road condition data delivers genuine value for asset management programmes, enabling highways authorities to access a wide range of additional RCM data from a single survey.

High-quality survey data provides far more than a snapshot of road condition. When collected and interpreted correctly, it becomes a foundation for wider infrastructure insight, supporting the monitoring of additional highway assets, improving maintenance planning, and enabling authorities to move towards more proactive and predictive network management.

By combining WDM’s survey expertise with SmartVision’s AI powered analytics, the collaboration aims to provide local authorities with detailed, more actionable datasets. Ultimately, it is the quality and integrity of this data that enables highway authorities to plan effective maintenance strategies, optimise budgets, and deliver safer, more resilient road networks to benefit the communities they serve.

Developed in the UK, SmartVision’s advanced AI model has been trained on over 11 million images to accurately identify more than 120 road condition criteria. 

Combined with a powerful data platform, the solution enables local councils, highway authorities and insurance providers to take a proactive, data-driven approach to maintaining a resilient transport network and improving road safety.

https://www.wdm.co.uk