Fostering innovation and digitalisation in the construction sector

The Consultative Commission on Industrial Change (CCMI) of the European Economic and Social Committee will convene an expert hearing to advance policy discussions on fostering innovation and digitalisation in the construction sector. 

The construction sector is a strategic pillar of the EU economy and a key enabler of the green and digital transitions. It shapes Europe’s housing, transport, energy and climate‑resilience infrastructure, and underpins multiple strategic value chains. Strengthening innovation and digital uptake is therefore essential not only to achieving climate neutrality by 2050, but also to reinforcing the EU’s industrial autonomy, productivity and global competitiveness.

The hearing will focus on two core themes:

• Building an EU framework for digital and innovative construction, and
• Making Innovation in Construction Work: Companies, Workers and Civil Society. 

It will bring together high‑level representatives from EU institutions, industry, trade unions and civil‑society organisations.

Discussions will examine the structural barriers that continue to hinder innovation in the sector, including skills shortages, market fragmentation, limited access to digital tools and uneven regulatory frameworks. Participants will also explore potential solutions, such as upskilling and reskilling initiatives, the deployment of digital technologies, and the role of standardisation in supporting compliance, safety and cross‑border operations. It will examine how EU policies, such as the revision of public procurement rules, the Single Market strategy and the forthcoming Construction Services Act, can drive innovation, fair competition and productivity gains.

The debate arrives at a pivotal moment for EU industrial and construction policy. Construction output has not kept pace with demographic demand in several EU regions. Multiple reports highlight low productivity growth, a shrinking labour force, and volatile energy and raw material prices. Finding innovative solutions to these challenges is essential to strengthening the sector’s long-term resilience. As one of Europe’s largest employers and a major driver of investment, the construction ecosystem is central to these debates.

Therefore, the hearing and the subsequent CCMI opinion, will highlight how modernised construction processes can reduce costs, increase efficiency, support affordable housing and strengthen Europe’s capacity to deliver major infrastructure and climate‑resilience projects.