PACE OF CHANGE HAS NEVER BEEN THIS FAST

The headline above is a paraphrase from a famous quote: “The pace of change has never been this fast, yet it will never be this slow again.” These words were said by Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau at the World Economic Forum at Davos, talking about technology in general. They are worth remembering as, at times, we can get impatient that construction hasn't made greater strides in its adoption of technology – the reality is that great leaps have been made, and the speed of these changes will only accelerate in the future.

Construction is one of the world's most essential industries and it is currently facing serious challenges, such as a lack of workers, a need to reduce carbon emissions and rising inflation squeezing already tight profit margins. The answer? You've guessed it: technology. It is through technology that construction can become more efficient and productive than ever before, which will enable vast swathes of data to be shared between both competing companies and all aspects of the ecosystem, from the smallest of contractors through to the multi-billion-dollar company leading the project.

In these pages you will see a selection of the features, interviews and news that we've produced throughout the year on topics such as AI, surveying, alternative power, BIM, robotics and much more. We are also delighted to be hosting an in-person Construction Technology Summit in Austin, Texas, US, on March 18-19 2024. The event will feature keynote speeches, roundtable debates and multi-media presentations looking at where the industry is now and where it will evolve in the future. We hope to see you at what we are sure will be a fantastic event.

MIKE HAYES Editor Construction Europe

ANDY BROWN Editor International Construction

CATRIN JONES Deputy Editor