The 2024 National Construction Summit takes place on Thursday, 18 April, at the Sport Ireland Campus, Blanchardstown. The comprehensive programme includes seminars, free workshops, and an extensive exhibition area showcasing the latest products and services.
Key conference themes at the 2024 National Construction Summit include Jobs, Skills, Training and Education; Infrastructural Investment; Public and Private Housing; Finance; Building Materials and Services Innovation; Foreign Direct Investment (FDI); Project Ireland 2040, the Housing For All Plan; Smart Design for Offsite Construction; Construction 4.0; Green Technology; and Sustainability.
Irish Construction Growth
Construction output in Ireland is forecast to grow 4.4% in 2024, according to Euroconstruct, an independent construction market forecasting network active in 19 European countries. This is in contrast to output declines in construction across Europe.
Euroconstruct expects the level of new housing completions in Ireland to meet or exceed national targets, with completions estimated at 33,450 in 2024. The civil engineering sector in Ireland is forecast to grow by 5.3% in 2024, while the nonresidential sector will grow by 2.6% this year.
Housing Supply
Housing for All, the government’s housing policy to 2030, is designed to improve Ireland’s housing system and deliver more homes of all types for people with different housing needs. It has a built-in annual review mechanism to respond to progress made in implementing the plan, to challenges in implementation and changes in the external environment.
Although housing supply has been increasing, the increase in house prices and rents indicates that demand for housing is still growing faster than supply.
Meet The Speakers
The National Construction Summit will host over 100 speakers across seven stages. There will panels on topics ranging from “Building a Resilient Workforce: Attracting and Retaining Skilled Construction Talent,” “Voices of the Irelands MMC Sector: Priorities and Perspectives for a Sustainable Future,” “How PPPs can help meet Ireland’s infrastructure challenges,” and “Is Ireland Destined to Become a Secondary Data Hosting Location?” Talks are diverse, and there is something for everyone in the wider construction sector.
Agendas are now live to view here www.nationalconstructionsummit.ie/agenda/
To meet the speakers and learn more about their topics, go to www.nationalconstructionsummit.ie/speakers
Construction challenges
The construction sector is a vital component of the Irish economy providing the necessary infrastructure required to sustain Ireland’s economic growth and competitiveness and to attract foreign direct investment (FDI). According to a recent EY Economic Advisory report, the value of Irish construction output is projected to reach €35.2Bn in 2024.
Although the Irish construction industry is undergoing a steady recovery following subdued activity in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it faces significant challenges, such as rising materials costs, skills shortages and difficulties in planning and public sector procurement
Construction Innovation
In order to design and construct the sustainable buildings and infrastructure required by a growing population and to help businesses adapt to the challenges of the unfolding fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0), the construction industry throughout Ireland needs to rapidly adopt innovative technologies and techniques. However, there is concern that the industry is not evolving fast enough to meet these changing needs.
Co-Located Events
The 2024 National Construction Summit, in conjunction with a number of co-located events, will attempt to present solutions to these challenges.
Visitors are free to move between the different co-located events, which include:
- Project Controls Event
- The Architecture, Design and Planning Expo;
- BIM & Digital Construction Show;
- The Data Centre and Critical Infrastructure Expo;
- Fit-out & Interior Live; • Health & Safety;
- Lean Construction Show;
- Modern Methods of Construction;
- Modular & Offsite Construction Show;
- The Engineering Summit;
- The National Facility Management and Maintenance Show;
- Passive Construction & NZEB;
- Smart & Green Building Expo.
Registration for free attendance at the 2024 National Construction Summit is now open at https://www.nationalconstructionsummit.ie/register/
The Organiser
The 2024 National Construction Summit organiser, Dublin-based Premier Publishing & Events, has been staging similar exhibitions and conferences in the UK and Ireland for many years.
Forthcoming events include:
- National Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference Exhibition – 28-29 May –RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin
- Sustainability Summit – 28 – 29 May –RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin
- Power & Energy Conference Exhibition – 13 June – Tower Hotel, Waterford.
To learn more or book your tickets for the National Construction Summit 2024, visit www.nationalconstructionsummit.ie