On 19 June, the strategic plan of the Navarra Construction Industrialisation Cluster (iCONS) was presented, carried out together with Sodena and the consultancy firm Cluster Development. This conference, held at the Confederación Empresarial de Navarra (CEN) with maximum occupancy (130 people registered), reflected the interest in the search for new ways of innovation to meet the challenges that arise for the entire construction value chain.
The support of the Government of Navarra and the S4 Strategy for this sector is fundamental, as construction represents 6.4% of employment and 6.6% of GVA in Navarra (3,750 M€ turnover/13,000 jobs), but at the same time it faces great challenges, as it is responsible for 40% of energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions and has undergone a strong reconversion after the real estate bubble and the great recession of 2008-2012. Moreover, it is a sector with high occupational risks, relatively aged, with difficulties in attracting young talent and with a historical demand for increased productivity and innovation for its viability.
Given these challenges, the companies and institutions grouped in the cluster consider that the future lies in the transformation of construction towards industrialisation and environmental sustainability, which is reflected in its new strategic plan, which iCons aspires to lead through a collaborative process open to the entire value chain and society. The Strategic Plan includes 26 actions in 7 different work areas, highlighting those of “decarbonisation and sustainability” and “industrialisation and new construction solutions”.
At SODENA, we believe that the challenge facing construction is complex and necessarily collaborative. We are talking about the creation of a new value chain, based on the following principles:
1. “Complicity” in all the links: from design to execution.
2. New “industrial” chain: new materials, standardisation, “total quality”, logistics (JIT/JIS), and “assembly” of systems.
3. Increased role of product manufacturers and modular systems (2D-3D).
4. Significant investment in machinery for on-site and off-site construction with different processes.
5. Cultural change: new professional profiles both in the workshop and in the final location.
6. New specialised services: integration of technologies, environmental analysis, logistics, insurance, financing…
7. Search for new solutions with R&D&I projects and experimental pilots.
Finally, it should be noted that public-private collaboration is of vital importance to advance in the generation and experimentation of this new value chain towards the future, which is why we will continue to collaborate with iCons in the development of its Strategic Plan.
