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AI and other digital tech will have an impact on construction in the next 10 years, says Kate Onions from law firm Shakespeare Martineau, but it's not clear how much:
There has been a lot of talk about modular construction, but not much uptake. Some sectors have put a toe in the water but could be more immersed by 2030, especially local authorities that feel pressure to provide affordable housing.
Modular can help solve the housing crisis because of its efficiency and improvements, not just in health and safety and costs, but also turnaround time and arguably quality. This all comes with a warning – if you have a defect in one unit, that can be replicated throughout an entire building. That can be costly.
Other new technologies such as 3D printers and drones are already in use. Wearable technology might be really useful for remotely monitoring employees, but there will be privacy concerns.
Building Information Modelling has been around for ages, and a lot of people say: ‘If you’re not using BIM, you’re going to be dead in the water’. The reality is that parts of the industry have been really slow on the uptake and I’m not sure how quick it will be in the next 10 years. It is certainly being used by public-sector projects.
There is a suggestion that one in three construction jobs could be lost in the next 10 years because of AI, but I think the impact will be slower. The industry has been a bit slow joining the digital age – if uptake of social media like LinkedIn is anything to go by, wider adoption of digital platforms may be similarly slow.
The skills shortage is an ongoing issue, being made more acute by Brexit uncertainty and new technology. As more digital technology is introduced, you can bring in shiny new people trained to use it or you can invest in existing staff, but there is a big cost. If companies don’t prepare, they could lose their leading edge.
The skills gap is also linked to the number of women in the industry, who make up 11% of it. This drops to 2% or even 1% on site, perhaps understandably because of the ‘macho’ environment. The sector also has a 20% gender pay gap.
Every business needs to be not just pro-women, but pro-balance. I think the pay gap will get smaller over the next 10 years, and it already fell from 36% in 2018. I am optimistic because it is more firmly on the agenda than it ever has been. More companies are running engagement work with local schools as well, where those in the industry can fly the flag and promote their exciting and fulfilling careers to young girls and women.
I look forward to a time when the industry is seen as a place of opportunity for all, encouraging diversity across all ages, ethnicities and more.
Read our expert predictions for other sectors:
Aerospace
Biomedical
Energy
Automotive
Rail
Manufacturing
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