A partnership between the University of Bath and BIM4Water has been recognised for Excellence in Inclusion and Diversity at the national Digital Construction Live Awards, held on 19 February 2026 in Belfast. The awards highlighted excellence in digital construction, where data and technologies are used to improve the planning, design, construction and operation of built infrastructure.
The partnership was recognised for research exploring how digital technologies can enhance the employment prospects of neurodivergent individuals, helping them access and thrive in the workplace.
Dr Susan Lattanzio, Deputy Director of the Centre for People-Led Digitalisation, who led the project for the University of Bath and Clare Taylor, Chair of BIM4Water and Head of Digital Delivery at MWH Treatment, who led for BIM4Water, collected the award on behalf of the collaboration.
Dr Lattanzio said: “It’s an honour to see this partnership recognised nationally. Thanks to the support of Professor Linda Newnes, who leads the Centre for People Led Digitalisation, and Clare Taylor at BIM4Water, this project rapidly gained momentum across the University, with colleagues in Management, Economics and Psychology starting their own research activities in this area.
“The award reflects the power of bringing diverse expertise together to advance inclusive digital transformation, and the importance of working alongside industry partners who are determined to drive meaningful change.”
Unlocking inclusive workplaces with digital innovation
Working in a co-creative partnership, BIM4Water and the University of Bath’s Centre for People-Led Digitalisation explored how digital innovations can empower neurodivergent individuals in the workplace and give employers the tools they need to recruit more inclusively and address skills shortages.
Dr Despina Moschou, Associate Dean (Community, Culture and Inclusion) in the Faculty of Engineering and Design, said: “This is a deeply meaningful moment for the Faculty. The work, led by Dr Susan Lattanzio through BIM4Water, demonstrates that truly outstanding engineering is inclusive, compassionate and profoundly human.
“Supporting neurodivergent individuals to access and thrive in the workplace is not an ‘add-on’ to engineering excellence, and inclusion is not separate from innovation. As digital transformation accelerates, the human values we embed into our technologies, systems and workplaces matter more than ever.”
BIM4Water is a not-for-profit forum leading the digital transformation of the water sector in the UK through Better Information Management (BIM).
With up to 27,000 vacancies expected in the water sector by 2029 and almost half the workforce nearing retirement, the need for diverse talent is critical. Despite this, research shows 85–90% of neurodivergent adults are unemployed or underemployed.
Driving inclusive digital transformation
Made Smarter Innovation: The Centre for People-Led Digitalisation, alongside the University of Nottingham and the University of Loughborough, is working with industry to deliver digital innovation to UK industry. At its heart, the centre designs people-first solutions to the challenges industries, particularly manufacturing, face during digital transformation.
Professor Tim Ibell, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Design, said: “Enormous congratulations to all those who have contributed to this success. This award recognises Bath’s national leadership in inclusive engineering and people-centred digital innovation.
“It adds to a growing number of national honours received by the University of Bath’s Faculty of Engineering and Design in recent years. It reflects our ongoing commitment to embedding equity, diversity and inclusion within research, teaching and partnerships with industry, and to shaping a future where engineering innovation is driven by human needs, values and opportunities.”