On World Day for Safety and Health at Work, Middle East HSE interviewed David Robinson, Group HSE Director, Innovo to explore the company’s safety vision, cultural practices, and priorities in health, safety, and sustainability.
Innovo is an industry leader in construction and innovation across the built environment, specialising in the design, engineering, construction, development, and infrastructure financing of major real estate projects across four continents. Its vast and varied portfolio includes more than 130 ongoing projects, encompassing luxury residential developments, villa communities, educational facilities, commercial hubs, and critical urban infrastructure. Headquartered in London, Innovo also operates regionally in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Canada, and Senegal.
Asked how Innovo defines its HSE vision, David explained that health and safety are foundational to how the company operates — not just on World Day for Safety at Work, but every day. The commitment, he said, is to protect lives, prevent life-altering incidents, and build the conditions for people to thrive. Their HSE vision is anchored in a Safety Evolution Strategy, designed to create a resilient, risk-intelligent, and human-centered culture where leadership sets the tone, learning is continuous, and safety is embedded into how work is imagined, done, and improved.
When asked how safety is woven into daily operations, David emphasised a key cultural belief at the core of Innovo’s HSE model:
“Safety at Innovo is not delegated or siloed — it is owned by everyone.”
The company has embedded safety into the fabric of operational delivery by aligning leadership accountability, project KPIs, and frontline engagement around what truly prevents harm. Through active conversations, critical risk reviews, and workforce-led improvement, safety becomes a shared mindset rather than a compliance exercise. This cultural integration, he noted, is key to building the trust, adaptability, and ownership needed for sustainable high performance.
In terms of programs that have made the greatest impact, David pointed to the HSE Engagements program as a core embodiment of Innovo’s shift from top-down safety to collaborative, learning-focused leadership. These daily engagements create a rhythm of recognition, reflection, and action — spotlighting success, surfacing drift, and enabling improvement in real time. David described them as a living system of learning from both success and failure, reinforcing that safety leadership happens through curiosity, connection, and accountability on the ground.
Discussing the relationship between safety and sustainability, David stated that Innovo’s approach is integrated and risk aligned. The company manages environmental, social, and health risks as interconnected elements of project performance. From carbon-conscious design and construction to social wellbeing programs and workforce mental health support, Innovo’s projects reflect a systems-thinking approach. This ensures that long-term value, community benefit, and frontline safety are considered in every decision made.
Regarding support for national visions like UAE Net Zero 2050, David explained that Innovo’s contribution is grounded in action — reducing emissions through smart energy systems, advancing sustainable construction, and supporting decarbonization across their value chain.
Looking ahead, Innovo’s HSE priorities are shaped by it’s Safety Evolution — a strategic transition from compliance-based safety to one driven by critical risk control, proactive learning, and human performance. David said they are embedding Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) principles across every function, empowering leaders to lead visibly and teams to speak up, reflect, and learn.
