Laing O’Rourke has appointed Chetan Kotur as head of technology and innovation for its Europe Hub. 

The move comes as the company increases its focus on the development and deployment of new technologies with the potential to transform construction productivity and deliver improvements to project programme, quality, safety and sustainability.

Kotur, who was named Young Engineer of the Year in 2018 by the Royal Academy of Engineering, joins the company from Polestar, the electric performance car brand, where he was head of products for APAC (Asia Pacific).

He will work alongside his predecessor, Dr Chris Millard, in a phased handover of the Technology and Innovation team. 

Millard, who will remain with the business focusing on specific projects, said: “I am delighted to welcome Chetan to Laing O’Rourke.

"He is an outstanding engineer with tremendous knowledge and experience of the automotive sector, from which we can learn so much as we continue to develop technologies that accelerate the transformation of construction into a modern, technology-based sector.”

Kotur added: “I was inspired by Laing O’Rourke’s vision of construction and its desire to apply learnings from other sectors, like automotive and aerospace, to change how construction delivers. 

“I believe there is great opportunity to harness new technology and innovations to make advanced manufacturing the norm in construction, and by doing so boost productivity, enable greener building and make a career in construction more attractive to a wider group of people. 

“I can’t wait to meet the team, visit the amazing projects and get started.”