New groups to steer ACE through choppy Brexit waters

Julian Francis
31 May 2017

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New sector groups will give consultancy and engineering firms an opportunity to influence ACE’s policy and public affairs work, says Julian Francis.

With an ambitious agenda for infrastructure and Brexit ahead, the government, whoever wins the general election on 8 June, will need all the help it can get, something that ACE can provide.

ACE’s revitalised sector interest groups (SIGs) will provide ACE's member companies with an unmatched ability to feed into ACE’s policy and public affairs work. This comes at a time when it could not be more important for engineering and consultancy firms to be at the front of the queue to advise government.

The SIGs will each focus on three key areas, such as skills, value for money in the rail sector, and the future needs of the road network. These play very neatly into the key priorities of the UK government, with its ambitious agenda for infrastructure delivery, developing industrial strategy, and desire to maintain the UK’s position as an attractive destination for global investment.

New chairs and vice-chairs have been appointed, each with the knowledge and experience of the various sectors they are leading on, providing a reliable and reassuring voice that ACE can deploy to make the case for infrastructure. Who better than own members to convince the public, government, and other stakeholders of the importance of the work they do?

ACE currently has SIGs looking at the rail, road, sustainability, and water sectors, while we are also in the process of establishing groups for major projects, property, and ports and airports. These are all vital areas for the UK which, in light of Brexit, must present to the world an image of reliability, connectivity, and capacity. Our new SIGs will make sure no one can be in any doubt our infrastructure networks are fit for a 21st century purpose.

If you are interested in getting involved in ACE’s SIGs, please contact pea@acenet.co.uk stating which sector you work in and what you think you can bring to the groups.

Julian Francis is director of policy and external affairs at the Association for Consultancy and Engineering.