The construction sector remains one of the least research-intensive industries despite its pivotal role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Although national innovation policies such as Australia’s R&D Tax Incentive encourage enterprise-led research, construction firms continue to face barriers due to fragmented knowledge transfer and unclear pathways for transforming practical problem-solving into formal R&D.
This study investigates how construction enterprises can shift from project-based innovation to structured research activities by analysing the organisational, policy, and collaboration mechanisms that enable industry-led R&D. A qualitative and policy-mapping approach was adopted, drawing on semi-structured interviews and document analysis of 15 Australian construction firms engaged in research design under national incentive frameworks. The study examines how intermediary support, documentation literacy, and policy clarity jointly shape firms’ ability to plan, record, and justify innovation as research.
Findings reveal that a growing cohort of construction entrepreneurs demonstrate both willingness and capability to innovate when supported by research-oriented frameworks. Policy alignment and intermediary guidance significantly enhance their capacity to structure and sustain R&D activities. The proposed three-pillar collaboration model—linking research design, compliance, and capability building—illustrates how academic, government, and industry partnerships can transform isolated initiatives into a coherent innovation ecosystem, thereby strengthening sectoral resilience.
By reframing construction enterprises as active research actors rather than passive technology adopters, this work provides a transferable framework for sustainable and scalable innovation within the built environment. Although grounded in the Australian context, the findings offer globally relevant insights for mobilising industry-led R&D under national innovation schemes, contributing to SDG 9 (Industry and Infrastructure) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).