Interview with Roger Bou, Director of Construmat: “Sustainability is no longer a trend, it’s an objective”

Construmat, the leading trade fair for the construction sector in Spain, will be held from May 20th to 22nd at the Gran Vía venue of Fira de Barcelona. This year, the event stands out for its larger exhibition offer, increasing internationalisation, and a comprehensive programme of activities focused on sustainability, technology, and industrialisation as the pillars that are already transforming the building industry. Roger Bou, the show’s director, reveals the details of an essential event for understanding and preparing to face the most immediate challenges ahead for the construction sector.

What are the main new features of Construmat 2025?

This year, Construmat is growing in both size and exhibition offer. We will have the participation of more than 350 exhibitors from around twenty countries, and we expect to exceed 22,000 professional visitors. Regarding activities, we are enhancing the Sustainability Building Congress as the main event, adding a more international focus with presentations from experts and success stories from other countries that can be inspiring. In addition, we are including more live demonstrations, training spaces, and networking areas designed for attendees to find real solutions to the sector’s challenges and to promote the exchange of ideas and experiences. The fair comes at an essential moment to help understand and demonstrate that the paradigm shift in construction towards sustainability is irreversible.

What themes will take centre stage at this year’s edition?

Sustainability will be the main driving force behind both the commercial offer and all the activities at Construmat. Added to this are trends such as digitalisation, the industrialisation of construction processes, healthy architecture, and the use of disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence, BIM, and 3D printing. We also aim to promote young and female talent in the sector, as well as create discussion spaces to explore solutions to address the housing deficit in Spain or strategies for reconstruction after the DANA storm.

With such a wide-ranging offer, how has the programme of activities been designed to provide real value to attendees?

We have prioritised a practical approach and the provision of useful knowledge. We have over a hundred activities, including the sessions of the Sustainability Building Congress – focused on affordable housing production, health and bio-habitability, and artificial intelligence – as well as conferences and presentations driven by entities and companies in the sector, demonstrations, and interactive training spaces, in addition to exhibitions, award ceremonies, and networking events. Everything is designed so that the different professional profiles in the construction sector who visit us can find tailored information, inspiration, and resources to help them transform new challenges into opportunities.

This year, Turkey is the guest country of Construmat. What does this participation entail?

Turkey will have a prominent role at Construmat 2025, with the participation of more than 15 exhibiting companies and a significant presence at the Sustainability Building Congress, where innovative projects from this country will be presented. In addition to the institutional presence led by representatives of the DEİK (Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey), we will have a Turkish trade delegation that will hold business meetings with the fair’s exhibitors.

International participation in the fair is higher than last year. Which countries will be represented?

Indeed, in addition to having Turkey as the guest country, Construmat is reinforcing its international character and global projection with exhibitors from around twenty countries. Specifically, 32% of the commercial offer comes from abroad. There will be companies and grouped pavilions from France, Germany, Portugal, China, Poland, Belgium, Austria, Morocco, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Egypt, Andorra, and Lithuania, among other countries.

How does Construmat address the structural challenges of the sector, such as the lack of skilled labour or the reduction of the environmental impact of building?

We are aware of these challenges and will address them with concrete proposals. For example, we are organising conferences and round tables to discuss topics such as the training of professionals and the lack of labour, or on decarbonisation, improving energy efficiency, and new sustainable materials. We are also creating the Talent Marketplace, focused on attracting and connecting young people, women, and other professional profiles with companies in the sector offering job opportunities. Another issue we are raising is the housing shortage. At Construmat’s initiative, a ten-point plan of measures has been drawn up by the construction sector that would help solve this problem, and it will be presented to government representatives and other administrations visiting the show in May.

The digitalisation and integration of cutting-edge technologies characteristic of Construction 4.0, such as BIM, artificial intelligence, IoT, and augmented reality, among others, are transforming the construction industry. What role do these innovations play at Construmat?

Construmat will also reflect this shift towards the digitalisation of construction to improve productivity and sustainability. Through live demonstrations, conferences, success stories, and also in the commercial area, it will be possible to see how these tools can optimise processes, reduce costs, and promote greater efficiency. Furthermore, in the area dedicated to start-ups, around thirty emerging companies will present innovative solutions, many of them based on these technologies.

What message would you give to construction professionals who have not yet decided to attend Construmat?

I would tell them that Construmat is not just a fair; it is an essential meeting point for the entire sector, a place where you need to be. Here, they will be able to see the latest innovations first-hand, find business opportunities, and make key contacts for their projects. Now is the time to commit to the transformation of the sector, and Construmat 2025 is the perfect place to move towards sustainable construction. Sustainability is no longer a trend; it is a priority objective that requires a change of perspective and new solutions for more responsible building.