The challenge of construction today

The construction industry is of vital importance for the national economy, representing 10% of GDP. It is, however, a sector that is very different from other business sectors, both in terms of productivity and in terms of labour market. It is a sector constituted of more than 90% SMEs. It has an conservative image, where innovation of the final product or of associated processes has not followed other sectors and is, as such, connected with huge challenges, such as the digitalisation of processes, and the creation of construction methodologies and operations that significantly reduce environmental and energy issues, whereby the future of the sector will need to involve a combined national strategy, in order to achieve the referred changes.  
For example, the application of the concept of circularity in construction, which begins in the conception and design, extending to the construction and operation of buildings and infrastructures that have been built, urgently needs to be implemented. Practical examples of its application is what we usually do at Telhabel: pre-demolition audits to buildings in the areas to be built, selective demolitions and reuse of construction and demolition waste (CDW), in the new projects, thus allowing the reuse of almost 100% of CDW produced. Also, when it comes to the selection of materials, for example, we increasingly demand that they have higher structural and functional performances, i.e., that they have a superior life cycle in order to increase the aforementioned circularity in the sector. Finally, the generalisation of prefabrication and the automation of assembly have been important allies in reducing construction times.
It is, in our view, with the generalisation of these practices that the construction industry will overcome the major challenges it has been fighting, making it more sustainable, more attractive and retentive when it comes to labour and, consequently, more productive and competitive.