Strengthening Demand Signals for Steel Reuse in UK

This report is a final document that addresses barriers to accelerate market uptake of low-carbon and resource-efficient innovations in the built environment. It presents findings from a project funded by Innovate UK and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (DESNZ), focusing on market-forming interventions (MFIs) specifically for structural steel reuse. The project involved comprehensive stakeholder engagement and was executed in four phases: sectoral analysis, defining MFI types, prioritization of MFIs, and MFI design. It identifies economic, technical, and organizational barriers that innovators face, such as demand-side issues that hinder effective market participation. The report emphasizes that maximizing reuse of structural steel can significantly reduce carbon emissions and increase resource efficiency in construction, with potential carbon savings of up to 97% compared to virgin steel usage. It concludes by outlining strategies to overcome identified barriers and improve the viability of steel reuse.