Construction Blueprints Podcast

In this episode of Construction Blueprints, our experts discuss the evolution and opportunities presented by nuclear energy in global decarbonization efforts amidst the growing needs to power data centers and artificial intelligence technologies. Within this episode hosted by Tom Grandmaison, Chief Client Officer – Construction, panelists Gary Rodrigues, Nuclear Lead, and Joe Hurley, TMT Industry Leader – Western NA focus on the fundamentals of nuclear energy, its resurgence as a clean energy source and the innovative applications occurring in this sector. They further explore the risk and insurance issues that companies embarking on nuclear-powered projects should consider.

In this episode of Construction Blueprints our experts discuss the impact of climate change on the construction industry. Our Climate Practice leaders focus on the most significant climate-related risks for construction projects and provide useful perspective on what construction companies can do to incorporate climate change considerations into their long-term planning. In this episode, you can also expect to hear helpful insight into the level of preparation required to meet stricter environmental regulations in a constantly evolving environment.

Some construction sites might falsely believe that since narcotics are forbidden at the work site, this just simply shouldn't be a problem, or they might even think that having Naloxone might make people feel more of a sense of license that they can misuse narcotics at or near the workplace. In this episode of Construction Blueprints, Jonathan Oppenheim, North America Regional Construction Leader, is joined by Jeff Levin Schurz, a Physician, Managing Director at WTW, and our North American Population Health Leader. In the podcast, we explore the use of Naloxone as a potential life saving practice in the construction industry. This is an incredibly important topic as fatal drug overdoses have doubled in the U.S. since 2015. For more information on the topic discussed in the podcast, please visit the following sources: Surgeon General Advisory on Naloxone and Opioid Overdose (2022)

Since the CHIPS Act of 2022, the activity in the technology sector has seen a significant increase. Undoubtedly, the global chip shortage in 2021 and 2022 disrupted a lot of supply chains and it caused subsequent product shortages in many industries. Naturally, the size of tech projects has mostly impacted the construction industry. These mega projects will take years to complete and they are going to be repositioning a lot of the major technology players' entire supply chain and distribution model. The construction industry has quickly adapted to the changing demands and requirements of these mega projects. In the insurance marketplace, we are seeing capacity being both provided by domestic markets and international markets as they see it as a great opportunity to support this rapidly expanding sector. In this episode of Construction Blueprints, Bill Creedon, Global Head of Construction, is joined by George Haitsch, Technology, Media and Telecom Industry Leader, as well as Jennifer Cate, Senior Construction Casualty Leader, and Edward Holland, Lead Technology Broker. Learn more about the 2024 outlook of the technology sector and the mega projects which are impacting the construction industry.

Historically, the construction industry has been behind compared to other industries in terms of embracing technology. But things are changing, and construction companies are starting to utilize technology in a variety of different ways and creating their own intellectual property, their own solutions, leveraging technology in a variety of different ways. By definition, intangible assets are those that are not physical in nature, or identifiable, and can be bought and sold independently of the owner. In this podcast, we discuss a first party product that is meant to ensure the intangible assets themselves and the specific intangible assets that we're focused on are the non-public proprietary intangible assets owned by companies. In this episode of Construction Blueprints, Tom Grandmaison, Construction Chief Client Officer, is discussing with our special guest Kim Cauthorn, Global Intellectual Property Leader, how organizations can protect themselves against financial loss resulting from accidental or malicious insider actions that cause loss, or leakage, or damage, or destruction of those intangible assets. You will also hear more about WTW's new construction offering - an intangible asset protection solution.

It's no surprise that many industries are experiencing severe labor and skills shortages on a global scale. This of course is a complex issue with multiple root causes, some of which are shorter term and others more structure in nature. In this episode of Construction Blueprints, Julie Ragsdale, Director, Construction and Real Estate, is joined by Adam Hall, Senior Director, Employee Experience, to discuss some of the more specific causes of labor shortage that are impacting the construction industries. Dr Adam Hall also provides helpful perspective on the potential solutions that are driving transformational change such as shifting the immigration restrictions in some markets.

As we continue our journey towards net zero, the energy industry is evolving at a faster rate than ever to get us there, by producing and connecting more clean energy. This means more innovation, more technology and a lot of creativity. In this episode of Construction Blueprints, Michael Venables, Head of GB Broking Construction, is joined by Maria Sanchis, Global Construction Exec, Steve Munday, Global Renewable Energy Leader Natural Resources, and Alan McShane, Global Head of Engineering Natural Resources, to discuss the challenges in the Renewable Energy Sector that wwners, operators, underwriters and brokers alike experience from both a technology and project risk standpoint.