UK universities are facing more competition than ever before in the battle to attract students, staff and, crucially, funding. These pressures are forcing their estates to work much harder and budgets to stretch much further.

We see five main drivers of change that will become more pronounced over time:

Competition:

universities compete fiercely to attract, impress and inspire students

Increased expectations:

students are more demanding than ever, and their expectations are increasing

Reduced funding:

government funding for university construction is continually reducing

Rapid pace of change:

technological change in education puts pressure on buildings, new and old

Ageing infrastructure:

the pressure to update, renovate or replace inappropriate or unsafe buildings and infrastructure is increasing.

These drivers for change can be an opportunity for university Finance Directors, Directors of Estates and their teams to configure their estates and focus budgets on areas that will provide most impact.

Poor performing university buildings and estates damage student experience and reduce staff productivity. We believe that by running an estate with the right buildings, operated in the right way, universities can become more financially and environmentally sustainable for the long term. We’ve written an estates management and transformation framework to help UK universities:

•   have more productive, satisfied students and staff
•   enhance their reputation, and be more impressive in a competitive environment
•   enjoy optimal use of their estates
•   become more cost and energy efficient

You can download our guide via this link