July 9, 2019

• Work at the construction site is not only the main area for improving digitization, but also the place to study the productivity of tasks at an individual level. New solutions must emphasize workers’ day-to-day tasks.
• Modular construction is the next big step for the industry due to its significant opportunity for cost savings and its ability to redefine the way in which structures are built.

CEMEX Ventures shares the conclusions drawn from a recent roundtable in Paris, France, with six industry leaders to improve digitization and productivity in the construction industry. Specifically, CEOs and innovation and technology representatives of Bouygues Construction, Hilti, DPR Europe, FMI, Versatile Natures and CEMEX Ventures met recently to explore how to attract tangible benefits to this sector.

The experience of each participant enabled them to analyze the industry’s main actors and areas for construction improvement. The new image of the industry shared by all the participants is that the growing number of startups and great interest in investing in the Contech space is significantly accelerating this sector’s trend toward innovation.

The appearance of increased new startups reflects an improvement in the industry; however, this enhanced situation requires a more exhaustive analysis of each of the solutions to fully understand their real benefits, as well as a comparison with companies’ business models. The mentality of the construction industry is positively changing, and although at a lower speed than other industries, observed improvements still must permeate the entire sector’s structure, particularly the construction site.

Gregg Wallace, Hilti’s Tech Office Director, introduced one of the main challenges to the digitization of construction: “How could we optimize each of the worker’s specific tasks? We should not only focus on making the project more efficient, but also explore each of the tasks individually.” While companies digitalize all of their areas and corporate processes, the construction site remains the least digitized operation.

Led by CEMEX Ventures, the companies participating in the roundtable talked about modular construction as the next step in the sector. While not a new concept, the technological improvements, the economic demand, and the change of mentality make it a great driver of the sector’s productivity. However, client involvement in the innovation process is necessary to improve the industry’s perception and receive constant feedback.

Finally, the day closed with a shared point of view: to expand the focus to all phases of the construction value chain and to share a global vision of the state of a project, from the initial design stage to the end user.

Through initiatives such as this roundtable, the Global Construction Startup Competition, and collaboration agreements with experts and leading companies, CEMEX Ventures reaffirms its position within the sector of entrepreneurship, investment, and new technologies, while continuing to drive the construction revolution.

Launched in 2017, CEMEX Ventures focuses on helping overcome the main challenges and capitalizing on the opportunity areas in the construction ecosystem through sustainable solutions. CEMEX Ventures has developed an open collaborative platform to lead the revolution of the construction industry, engaging startups, entrepreneurs, universities, and other stakeholders to tackle the challenges in the construction environment and shape the industry’s future. For more information on CEMEX Ventures, please visit: www.cemexventures.com.

CEMEX Ventures assumes no obligation to update or correct the information contained in this press release. CEMEX Ventures is not responsible for the content of any third-party website or webpage referenced to or accessible through this press release.