SECRECY surrounds some projects set up to demonstrate the best-practice principles recommended in the Egan report.

Although the number of demonstration projects submitted and approved is healthy – the first round attracted 48 worth a total of £1.4bn, and the second 35 worth £1.5bn – there are no details available on 12 of them.

This is despite the fact that the lessons from innovation projects are eventually meant to be shared to improve efficiency.

Stef Stefanou, a member of the Movement for Innovation board promoting the demonstration projects and chairman of specialist John Doyle, said: "There are commercial considerations here. Why should a company that has spent £10 000 developing an innovation give away something that is confidential from day one."

Mace chairman Ian Macpherson, who is retiring and being replaced on the board by Mace chief executive Bob White, said: "Perhaps some people in the first flush of excitement put projects forward and others on their teams have got nervous about it."

Ove Arup & Partners associate director and board secondee Paul Craddock said: "We cannot push the demonstration projects too hard in terms of providing too much information."

Demonstration projects promise to innovate in four ways: by providing ways to partner the supply chain, improving the production of components, developing products and project implementation.

Project implementation is the area in which most firms are promising to provide details of innovation, with many firms aiming to innovate in more than one area.

Eventually, the movement aims to reveal which demonstration projects will demonstrate which innovation, but for now, this cannot be revealed. Some project teams are wary of the publicity surrounding their promises to innovate.

Movement chairman Alan Crane said a funding drive will be launched in July to allow the board to continue its work. The board is also promising to start examining the importance of design quality, with architect Rab Bennetts to join it.