Modular construction - the building of tomorrow

The construction industry is currently undergoing one of the most significant phases of transformation in years. While the demand for construction activities continues to rise in the medium to long term, e.g. due to the energy-efficient refurbishment of buildings or the housing shortage, despite the turnaround in interest rates, the demands on construction are also constantly increasing against the backdrop of climate neutrality, stricter regulations or new product, technology or service offerings. Conventional construction methods are reaching their limits due to slow digitalisation and the worsening shortage of skilled workers, which is also reflected in the fact that productivity levels in the industry have been stagnating for decades.

One of the greatest levers for closing the gap between supply and demand for construction services is increasing productivity by increasing the value added per person in employment. In this context, there is repeated talk of serial construction. This refers to the move away from the traditional construction site, where buildings are built ‘brick by brick’, towards a construction site where individual building systems, components or modules, which were previously manufactured in a factory, are installed on site. This way of building not only leads to fewer errors, but also rapidly reduces construction time, which significantly increases the available capacity in the construction process.

In this study, we are therefore focussing on the topic of ‘serial construction’ and highlighting the key levers for the construction industry. As many terms relating to the topic are often used synonymously, we will first provide a differentiation and definition of the term. We also take a look at the most important segments and highlight current developments, practical examples and strategic potential for market participants.

PLEASE NOTE: The study is currently only available in German.