Construction 2030 — Innovation and Resilience with Hilti

There’s no doubt the construction sector is undergoing a series of changes and challenges, but there is also an unprecedented opportunity for businesses over the next four years. We spoke to Georg Connert, Executive Vice President and Global Business Unit Head at Hilti, to understand why construction firms need to drive innovation and build resilience through digital transformation by 2030.

He said: “I really believe that construction is now at an inflexion point where a lot of trends that moved rather slowly, especially when it comes to technology and digitalisation, will accelerate. Construction, unlike other industries, has a luxury problem because the limiting factor will not be demand. There are cycles, and sometimes it grows faster, but demand will not disappear.

“So, the construction industry can only limit itself. But I truly believe by 2030, we will have a positive net effect. That construction will show productivity gains at scale like other industries.”

What is resilience in construction, and why does it matter?

Resilience in construction means being better prepared, more flexible when circumstances demand it, and adaptable to changes. It is the ability to understand and mitigate risks before they happen.

Building resilience is therefore a risk management strategy, but Georg argues it is also, “a competitive advantage because by definition, construction is very volatile and is defined around uncertainty, long project cycles, and so on.”

Therefore, if you can achieve strategic resilience across all areas of your business, it will secure a competitive position for you in the market.

How to build resilience in your construction company by 2030

Building resilience in your construction business over the next four years may be the most significant opportunity available to companies of all sizes.

Georg says: “There’s just such a huge opportunity in construction to adopt technologies from design to pre-construction, to construction, to operations.”

However, doing so may not be straightforward. There is a knowledge and technology gap that means many businesses in the sector will struggle to achieve resilience by 2030.

Georg says: “Innovation cannot happen only in single companies because they lack the critical mass, and they have low margins. So cross-industry partnerships need to happen with tech providers and with public entities.”

Understanding the training and skills challenges

Technology is only as good as the people operating it, which leads to another potential complication. Building resilience through digital transformation will require new skills in all areas of the business.

Georg says, “Needless to say, construction will get more complex. What we build will get more techie, more regulatory, and smarter. So with that, projects will get more complex.”

Georg continues, saying this requires, “a move from more reactive problem solving to proactive risk management. If we enable the new generation to use all these tools and these technologies in their ways of working, that can be a huge opportunity.”

Taking that opportunity will not be an easy or quick task. Construction businesses will need to build new structures and processes to capitalise on the resilience and innovation opportunities offered by the digital transformation of construction.

Want to learn more about the opportunities digital construction technology could provide to your business and how to harness them? Read our new e-book, ‘From uncertainty to resilience: The digital future of Construction’, to learn more!