On Wednesday, February 26, over 350 corporate and technology representatives from the construction and technology market, together with hundreds of Israeli investors and developers, participated in the first-ever international conference on construction technology led by the Ministry of Construction and Housing, the Ministry of Economy, the Israeli Builders' Association and Startup Nation Central, led by Eugene Kendall.
"The construction industry will undergo a dramatic change. In 15 years, most of the construction work will be industrial and will be done by technology systems," said Leonard Brody, one of the founders of real estate and construction technology, at the Construction 4.0 conference, which brought together Israeli start-ups, industry leaders, experts, and multinational corporations to collaborate and discuss the digitalization of the construction industry. at the Rabin Center in Tel Aviv.
Brody, who has visited Israel several times, told conference attendees, “Israel is an important global hub in construction technologies.” Brody estimates that construction activity will not become much cheaper by switching to computer systems and robotics, but the efficiency and speed of construction will indirectly affect the real estate market.
The Construction 4.0 Conference was an initiative of the Construction Technology Community – ConTech – of the Israeli Builders Association, the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Construction and Housing, and Start-Up Nation Central.
The conference also marked the first meeting of an official representative of the World Contractors Association (CICA) with Israel. Fanny Dastugue, Director General of CICA, said,"CICA is a staunch supporter of the processes presented at the conference and is currently helping to develop innovative technologies in the construction industry that will guide planning and construction in the future.”
Within ConTech, technologies are currently being developed in a wide range of fields, including new construction materials, robotic plastering systems, drones that inspect building sites, work-accident prevention systems, mobile site management systems, autonomous cranes, order management systems, environmentally friendly ‘green’ building systems and more. The construction technology industry has grown rapidly in recent years, and in Israel it has already produced over one hundred start-ups.
Raul Sarogo, President of the Israel Builders Association, said, "Israel is expected to double its population in about 35 years, and we must prepare for this and ensure rapid, high-quality construction. This is the basis for our initiative and that of the Israeli government in establishing ConTech. We will be partnering in making Israel a global leader in construction technology.”Zachi Flatto, CEO of Contech said, “The first international Contech event in Israel was a festival of Israeli construction technology, with the participation of the local ecosystem and numerous global construction tech players, general contractors, materials corporations, and other technology companies. Israel is paving the way to become a construction global hub.”
Benny Dreyfus, Director General of the Ministry of Construction and Housing, added, “In recent years, we have been working to change the real estate world from low-tech to high-tech.”
Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Economy Naama Kaufman Pass, said “We in the Ministry of Economy see tremendous potential in the field of construction technologies and see innovation as a tool for growth and productivity of the local economy.”