Construmat showcases the future of construction: more sustainable, efficient, and technological.
The construction industry's leading trade fair has seen a 24% increase in participating companies, with sustainability, digitalization, and solutions to homelessness as key themes of this edition.
The Construmat fair returns from May 20 to 22 to Hall 2 of Fira de Barcelona's Gran Vía venue with more exhibitors, more space, and a clear commitment to sustainability, digitalization, and innovation. In its 24th edition, the show will feature more than 350 direct exhibitors from 22 countries—24% more than the previous year—and a 15% larger exhibition area.
This year, the fair will focus on four major challenges: the environmental impact of construction, the digitalization of processes, the housing shortage, and attracting talent. All of this, with an offer of 120 knowledge, training, and networking and the goal of exceeding 22,000 professional visitors.
"Construmat reflects the profound transformation that the sector is undergoing," says Xavier Vilajoana, president of the show and of the Association of Construction Developers of Spain (APCEspanya). "We want to demonstrate that it is possible to build more efficiently and sustainably, combining innovation with traditional trades, and doing so while also generating employment, attracting talent, and offering real responses to urgent challenges such as the need to produce more housing in our country."
Sectors and internationalization
With an offering focused on sustainability and efficiency improvements, the show will showcase the latest developments in machinery, industrialized construction, facades, insulation, urban planning, interior design, applied ICT, carpentry, solar protection, energy efficiency, and other areas.
![The Construmat Show returns to the Fira de Barcelona.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 2560 1708"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Thirty-five percent of the exhibition offering will be international. Participating companies and pavilions will be from France, Germany, Portugal, China, Poland, Belgium, Austria, Morocco, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Egypt, Andorra, Lithuania, Hungary, and Japan, among others. Turkey will be the guest country, with more than twenty exhibitors, mostly manufacturers of construction materials and machinery. It will also feature prominently in the fair's program of activities, showcasing success stories, and in the planned business meetings.
Innovation and New Technologies
Innovation will have a prominent role with the participation of 40 start-ups that will offer technological solutions capable of optimizing processes, reducing costs, and improving efficiency in the construction sector. You'll be able to see, for example, sensors that monitor concrete strength in real time or systems for analyzing infrastructure using drones and 3D technology.
Along with this area, there will be talks, training sessions, and more. pitching and opportunities to networking, where these emerging companies will be able to present their projects to potential investors, buyers, and partners.
The fair offers 120 activities with more than one hundred national and international speakers. "The activities have been designed with a practical approach to promote the exchange of ideas and experiences among the different professional profiles who visit the fair, with the aim of enabling them to apply them in their work," explains Roger Bou, director of Construmat.
Regarding homelessness in Spain, Construmat has facilitated a meeting of the main sector associations to propose a set of ten measures necessary to solve the problem. The document will be presented at the opening session of the congress and will be distributed to government representatives who visit the fair.
Construmat's featured activities
-
Sustainable Building Congress
More than 100 speakers will address issues related to the construction of affordable social housing, the health and biohabitability of buildings, and the practical applications of artificial intelligence in architecture, construction, and public works.
Architects David Adjaye, Peris+Toral, Stephen Bates, and Mohammed Adib will be the keynote speakers.
-
Construmat Experience
A space where the most relevant conferences and workshops will be held. For inspiration, interesting projects from Morocco, Portugal, Italy, France, and Turkey will be discussed. The topics covered include industrialized construction, buildings with a low environmental footprint, the regulatory framework for energy efficiency, and resilient construction solutions for natural disasters, as well as post-DANA reconstruction strategies, among others.
-
Masterclasses certified by the Council for International Accreditation of Architecture & Design (CIAAD)
Sustainable lighting design alternatives will be explored, and social sustainability and architectural heritage will be discussed, as well as the use of AI in the design of more sensitive and conscious spaces.
-
Material Libraries
With Colab's "Rethink" exhibitions and the IAAC's advanced materials showcase, solutions such as self-assembling graphene, palm-based plywood, bricks made from construction waste, and eco-friendly alternatives to cement, wood, and leather will be on display.
-
Guest events
Conference organized by the Facilities Engineering Summit of the Association of Facilities Consultants (ACI), Build Europe, the Union of Mediterranean Architects (UMAR), the Iberian Association of Trenchless Technology (IBSTT), and the National Association of Companies.
Another focus will be on finding ways to present construction as an attractive career option for young people, women, and other professionals. For this reason, on May 22nd, the trade fair will dedicate several sessions to learn about the types of qualified professionals the industry demands, as well as experiences undertaken to attract new talent. In addition, in collaboration with Barcelona Activa, a Marketplace with professional opportunities to connect companies and professional profiles.
Finally, the Construmat Awards for Sustainable and Healthy Architecture will be presented, curated by the Mies van der Rohe Foundation and sponsored by Würth Spain.
