A report by Costain claims the widespread adoption of Connected and Autonomous Plant (CAP) across construction and infrastructure jobs would stimulate the UK economy by an extra £417bn by 2050.

The contractor said using construction equipment that utilises the latest digital technology will have massive benefits for productivity and safety.

The study commissioned by the Department for Transport found that in the road and rail sectors CAP adoption could reduce the number of safety incidents by 28,000 through to 2050 with the technology potentially removing operators from high-risk environments.

Jonathan Willcock, managing director of transportation at Costain, said: “Infrastructure investment – particularly in transportation – is recognised as a pathway to national growth and prosperity. However, with myriad competing pressures on public spending, this investment must demonstrate value for money and maximise productivity.

“Connected and autonomous plant has the potential to transform the productivity of construction activities and, in turn, give a significant boost to the UK economy over the coming decades.

“Importantly, the technology will also play a key role in encouraging greener and safer ways of working, as well as creating more high-skilled jobs for the workforce.

“We’re already seeing CAP being deployed on projects across the country, but in order to scale up and achieve the benefits faster, there needs to be a shift in thinking to embrace this technology and drive positive change.”

Approximately one-fifth of construction plant currently in use has some degree of connectivity and autonomy, including compactors, excavators and bulldozers, in addition to technology such as 3D printing and AI robotics.