Groundworks 2026 Unveils Speaker Lineup Featuring Leaders from Mace, VINCI, HS2, McKinsey and UK Government

Industry leaders from construction, infrastructure, robotics and investment will gather in London to tackle the commercial, regulatory and operational barriers to scaling robotics on construction sites

LONDON, Oct. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Groundworks 2026 has unveiled its speaker lineup for the inaugural construction robotics summit taking place on November 11 at UCL Here East in London. The programme brings together senior leaders from major contractors, government, infrastructure developers, robotics companies and investment firms to address one of construction’s most pressing challenges: how to move robotics beyond successful pilots and into widespread deployment on active construction sites.

The lineup includes Mark Reynolds CBE, Executive Chairman of Mace and Co-Chair of the Construction Leadership Council; Fergus Harradence, Deputy Director at the UK Department for Business and Trade; Phillip Reid, Head of Innovation at VINCI; Ben Wagenaar, Innovation Lead at HS2; Stephen Henley, EMEA VP of Design Engineering and Construction at Digital Realty; and Erik Sjödin, Partner at McKinsey.

Joining them are leaders from the only commercially available robotics companies, including Monumental, AUAR, Hilti and Mechasys, alongside investors from Zacua Ventures, Foundamental, Brick & Mortar Ventures and several more.

The summit comes as Europe faces growing pressure to deliver new energy infrastructure, transport networks, data centres, manufacturing facilities and defence projects amid persistent construction workforce challenges. While robotics offers opportunities to improve productivity and address labour-intensive tasks, widespread adoption remains constrained by commercial uncertainty, fragmented decision-making and the complexities of deploying new technologies on active construction sites.

“Advancing construction robotics requires more than technological innovation. It requires the entire ecosystem working together,” Owen Drury, Founder of Groundworks and Co-Founder of the Bricks & Bytes Podcast. “Contractors need solutions that work on site, developers and asset owners need confidence in their value, investors need viable business models, and government has a role to play in creating the right conditions for adoption. Groundworks brings all these stakeholders onto one platform to have the conversations that need to happen if we’re serious about moving robotics from isolated pilots to widespread deployment across Europe’s construction industry.”

Across the main-stage programme, speakers will examine the commercial case for automation, workforce shortages, the role of robotics in major infrastructure projects, regulatory and safety considerations, and the emergence of humanoid robots and physical AI. Discussions will also explore how contractors evaluate new technologies, what robotics companies need to achieve commercial scale, and where investors see the greatest opportunities.

“Groundworks has an incredible-looking lineup, one of the first for a long time where I want to hear each presentation,” said Phillip Reid, Head of Innovation at VINCI.

Beyond the main-stage discussions, attendees will have the opportunity to experience live robotics demonstrations and engage directly with the companies developing technologies for construction environments.

Groundworks 2026 will bring together 150 industry leaders on November 11, 2026, at UCL Here East in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

To learn more about the summit and its speakers, visit groundworkssummit.com

About Groundworks

Groundworks is a UK & European summit focused on closing the gap between robotics innovation and real-world adoption on construction sites. Bringing together contractors, developers, asset owners, robotics companies, investors and government, Groundworks creates a forum for practical conversations about what works, what has failed and what needs to change to move robotics from demonstration to deployment. Its inaugural edition takes place on November 11, 2026, at UCL Here East in London, combining a curated main-stage programme with live demonstrations of robotics built for real-world construction environments. Groundworks is brought to you by Bricks & Bytes. To learn more, visit groundworkssummit.com

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