Urban futures: Fresh ways to look at a city

Automation is a behind-the-scenes operator in property, often overshadowed by more glamorous technology. However, it is essential in modernising the industry.

Don't despair if you haven't got your innovation adoption sorted - it's still early days and all to play for, according to MetaProp and other panellists on a RICS World Built Environment Forum roundtable.

While advisory groups the world over scramble to re-position themselves as tech-savvy innovators, Arup has been quietly taking care of business. Here’s a look at what the £1.6bn turnover planning-to-engineering group has been up to as it tries to seed technology throughout its 13,000-strong organisation.

Faisal Butt, founder and CEO of property innovation fund Pi Labs, shares his thoughts on retaking the reins as CEO after his stint as chairman, what he did on first day after taking over from Dominic Wilson, and plans for expanding into Europe.

Michael Philips, president of US-based fund manager Jamestown, also talks plans for 2019, managing relationships between property and technology, the difference between the US and European markets, his view of post-Brexit Britain, and what technology excites him most.

PlaceTech caught up with Diego Harari, director of innovation and sustainable development at Vinci Immobilier, in Paris to find out more about the firm’s road to innovation, the challenges along the way, and its strategy for working with startups.

Julian Barker, head of smart places at British Land, explains what the developer means by the term and the steps it is taking to make its buildings future-proof.

In the first of a two-part feature revealing British Land’s response to tech coming into property, Sally Jones, head of strategy, talks about facing the challenges, getting organised and working with small firms.

Law firms are increasingly under pressure from clients to reduce fees and improve efficiency. As more data becomes available, and technologies muscle in to offer alternatives to various legal processes, how are lawyers adapting to stay relevant and retain clients?