This chapter introduces the socio-technical systems (STS) theory as a lens to explore blockchain adoption in the construction sector. It outlines how blockchain technology, characterised by its transparency, immutability and decentralised nature, addresses long-standing inefficiencies in construction. However, the chapter emphasises that blockchain adoption requires more than technical implementation - it must consider the interplay between technological and social factors. The chapter reviews STS theory's origins, its relevance to technological innovation and its application to the built environment, particularly digital technologies like building information modelling (BIM). It highlights conceptual models like the multi-level perspective (MLP) and presents a socio-technical framework tailored for blockchain adoption, combining dimensions of technology, process, policy and society. By providing a roadmap and specific models for blockchain integration, Chapter 3 establishes a comprehensive approach to navigating adoption barriers and leveraging blockchain's potential to transform construction processes and relationships among stakeholders.

This chapter sets the stage by offering an incisive introduction to the themes explored throughout the book. It provides a foundational understanding of blockchain and its relevance to the built environment, framing the technology as a catalyst for systemic change.

Blockchain and distributed ledger technologies (DLTs) are increasingly recognised for their potential to address complex challenges across various sectors. Within construction and the built environment, these technologies are beginning to show promise not only in tackling persistent issues such as inefficiencies, fragmented processes and trust deficits but also in reshaping business models, enabling new forms of organising and driving value creation. Construction and the built environment, known for their significant economic and environmental impact, face growing pressures to adopt innovative, sustainable and collaborative approaches. [...]

This concluding chapter summarises the key insights presented throughout this book, connecting individual contributions to a broader discourse on blockchain's role in addressing inefficiencies in the architecture, engineering, construction and operations (AECO) industry. It highlights blockchain's foundational principles, socio-technical dimensions and applications such as supply chain management, construction contract administration (CCA), property tokenisation and integration with digital twins and IoT systems.

Cross-cutting themes are identified, including blockchain's potential to enhance transparency, decentralise governance, support lifecycle management and enable tokenisation for inclusive and sustainable practices. This chapter also examines key challenges to adoption, such as legal and regulatory hurdles, scalability and performance limitations, integration with legacy systems and stakeholder resistance. These challenges are contextualised within the fragmented and complex nature of the built environment. Additionally, the chapter explores the dynamics of innovation ecosystems, analysing how open, closed and hybrid models influence the scalability and diffusion of blockchain in the AECO sector.

This chapter adapts recommendations from the World Economic Forum's (WEF) blockchain framework, tailoring them to support blockchain adoption within the AECO sector. These include strategies for stakeholder engagement, regulatory alignment, pilot projects and the development of interoperable and scalable systems.

Finally, the chapter calls for a collective effort among academia, industry and policymakers to position blockchain not as a standalone solution but as a catalyst for innovation, inclusivity and resilience, extending its impact beyond the built environment.

Human-Data Interaction is central to the dynamic nature of the construction industry and its growing reliance on substantial data sets. In this paper, we evaluate literature on the topic of Human-Data Interaction across several technologies and concepts within the built environment with the aim of identifying underlying aspects that can lead to an underpinning theory of Human-Data Interaction in the built environment to support advancement of the research in the field. Those aspects were identified as trust, game theory, empowerment of humans, human control, safety, accessibility, enhancing understanding, and the three pillars of Human-Data Interaction of agency, legibility, and negotiability.