Tuesday, December 2, 2025
Saint-Gobain Offsite Solutions and Hilti Great Britain have announced a landmark partnership aimed at raising standards in the growing timber construction industry. This is a historic decision and is expected to have an important impact on the UK construction industry. This partnership is a direct response to the urgent need for faster, safer, and more sustainable housing delivery methods, ideally in line with national strategic objectives.
The partnership leverages the manufacturing expertise of Saint-Gobain’s offsite operations with the advanced tools, technology, and services offered by Hilti. The overarching goal is to achieve quantifiable improvements across four critical pillars of modern construction: health and safety, productivity, sustainability, and digitalisation.
This initiative is a critical piece of the puzzle in achieving the UK Government’s ambitious target of delivering 1.5 million new homes. By championing timber and offsite manufacturing, the alliance provides a scalable, practical, and low-carbon method for rapid housing development, complementing the recently announced Timber in Construction Roadmap.
The core of the Saint-Gobain and Hilti partnership involves integrating sophisticated digital workflows and cutting-edge construction technologies directly into Saint-Gobain’s offsite manufacturing facilities across the UK.
Andy Burnham, Director of Operations at Saint-Gobain Off-Site Solutions, stressed the strategic importance of the collaboration:
“Saint-Gobain is deeply invested in the future of housing delivery, which is why we are actively expanding our offsite capabilities and wholeheartedly embracing digital and safety-led innovation. Hilti’s support has been instrumental in allowing us to meet the rigorous demands of modern construction. Together, we are not just building houses; we are building homes that are fundamentally safer, significantly faster to construct, and far more sustainable.”
The programme is being systematically deployed across all relevant Saint-Gobain Off-Site entities. By streamlining complex workflows and optimising production lines, the partnership aims to accelerate the delivery of high-quality, precision-engineered homes at an industrial scale—a critical requirement for addressing the UK’s housing crisis.
The timing of this partnership could not be more opportune. Timber construction, specifically structural timber, is increasingly recognized by the government and industry leaders as the most viable path to rapidly and sustainably achieving housing targets.
Andrew Orriss, CEO of the Structural Timber Association (STA), commented on the significance of the alliance:
“The Timber in Construction roadmap marks an essential step forward for the sector. With the government pushing to deliver 1.5 million new homes, structural timber presents a practical, scalable, and inherently low-carbon solution to help meet that target. This partnership between two major players like Saint-Gobain and Hilti clearly demonstrates that the industry is aligned and ready to build at scale. The STA remains committed to supporting the sector through robust quality assurance, comprehensive training, and strong advocacy. It is immensely encouraging to witness this kind of collaboration working to raise standards and help move timber construction firmly into the mainstream.”
This sentiment underscores a wider industry trend: collaboration between materials manufacturers and technology providers is essential for overcoming traditional construction barriers and fully realising the potential of off-site manufacturing.
For Hilti, the partnership is an opportunity to tailor their global expertise in construction technology for a sector poised for exponential growth.
Thibaud Lefebvre, Vice President of Sales at Hilti Great Britain, highlighted the technological commitment:
“Hilti is prioritizing investment in bespoke solutions that are perfectly tailored for the specific needs of the timber construction industry. Offsite construction represents a significant opportunity for innovation, and we are absolutely committed to supporting our customers with technologies that actively advance safety, dramatically improve productivity, and enhance long-term sustainability.”
Lefebvre continued, “Our detailed work with Saint-Gobain serves as a powerful demonstration of how strategic digitalisation and continuous innovation can unlock unprecedented levels of efficiency and deliver long-term value, moving timber construction toward a more industrialized and high-performance model.”
The benefits of integrating Hilti’s digital tools—which often include traceability, asset management, and quality control systems—are numerous: reduced material waste, improved project scheduling, better inventory management, and higher overall build quality, all contributing to the enhanced reputation of offsite timber construction.
Sustainability is no longer a secondary consideration but a core driver of modern construction. Timber is inherently a low-carbon material, acting as a carbon store throughout the life of the building. With the manufacturing process optimisation through this partnership, the environmental gains are amplified. Better production efficiency reduces energy consumption and minimises waste in the factory, while faster assembly on-site means reduced disruption and fewer emissions associated with transport and site logistics.
Ultimately, the strategic partnership between Saint-Gobain Off-Site Solutions and Hilti Great Britain is more than a commercial agreement; it is a blueprint for the future of UK housing. By combining high-quality offsite manufacturing with world-class construction technology, the alliance is setting a new benchmark for what is achievable in safety, speed, and sustainability, ensuring that the next generation of homes is built smarter, not just faster.
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Tags: construction digitalisation, offsite construction, productivity in construction, sustainability in building, timber construction, Timber in Construction Roadmap, UK housing targets
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