March 3 2026

Contollo Group Building Towards Future of the Construction Industry

The industry’s future will be defined by integrated expertise, digital tools and a workforce ready to adapt.

Across the region, the construction market is being reshaped by a combination of innovation, rising expectations and a growing pressure on skills. New building methods and digital tools are changing how projects are delivered, but the most significant factor influencing long-term success is on the capability and structure of the workforce delivering them.

Ruth Percival, CEO at The Contollo Group, predicts: “While technology will continue to evolve in construction and needs to be embraced, the organisations that thrive will be those able to bring together the right expertise, at the right time, in the right way.”

Contollo is an integrated, multidisciplinary consultancy bringing together established firms in cost and project management, engineering, sustainability and smart buildings under one platform. It believes greater collaboration across specialties is vital to overcoming industry fragmentation and improving project outcomes.

Percival states: “Upskilling our workforce and adapting to new ways of working is essential to the success and future of the industry.” Contollo’s model reflects a future where construction is less about managing disconnected parts and more about orchestrating complex systems. Percival adds: “Firms that integrate knowledge, technology, and accountability will define the next generation of construction, while siloed approaches will increasingly feel outdated.”

At a time when the industry faces familiar challenges such as skills shortages across technical and sustainability disciplines, cost volatility and increasing regulatory and reporting requirements, businesses need to offer integrated deliveries offering accountability, faster completion times and long-term asset performance, not just build completion.

Percival , comments: “Recent focus has shifted from short-term delivery to whole-life performance. As an industry we need to support our clients in navigating complexity with clarity – they need to understand how early decisions affect long-term cost, carbon and operational outcomes, backed up with data.”

Percival continues: “Digital tools are now firmly embedded in construction, supporting everything from cost planning and carbon modelling to asset management and performance tracking. However, technology alone does not deliver better buildings. The real advantage lies in how data is interpreted and applied by its workforce.”  Percival believes the most effective teams use digital platforms to inform judgement rather than replace it, providing transparency and better decisions earlier in the process.

Percival explains: “When expertise is integrated from the start, decisions are made with full visibility of cost, buildability, compliance, and lifecycle impacts. For the future, this means fewer design changes late in the project; reduced risk; higher certainty in budgets and timelines and overall growth for the entire industry.”

In short, Contollo believes the construction industry’s ability to meet future challenges will depend on its commitment to upskilling its workforce, embracing digital tools, and adopting integrated delivery models that offer expert input from the very start of projects.

Percival says: “By investing in people and technology and breaking down traditional silos, the industry can improve collaboration, boost productivity, and deliver more sustainable, resilient projects. Integrated models ensure that specialist knowledge informs decision-making early, reducing risk, cost, and inefficiencies enabling construction to thrive in an increasingly complex and digital future.”