The construction industry’s recovery is being hampered by its inability to innovate, according to a study by the Management Consultancies Association

Fifty-seven per cent of the members of the organisation believed this was a barrier to recovery in the sector, and second only to cash flow problems.

Fiona Czerniawska, head of research at the MCA, said: “Catching up with current good practice is one thing, but the next leap forward is not so much in people’s grasp.”

Volker Buscher, a director of Arup and a member of the MCA, said clients could do more to encourage companies to innovate.

MCA members include Arup, Mott MacDonald, Davis Langdon and EC Harris.