Construction Market Research Network EUROCONSTRUCT®

EUROCONSTRUCT® is an independent construction market forecasting network with partner institutes in 19 European countries. WIFO is the Austrian representative of the network and in this function the first contact point for national inquiries.

Main network activities cover the bi-annual conferences where special emphasis is set on overall economic analysis and on European construction market forecasts in those countries where the network is represented. These forecasts are updated bi-annually and are presented at the summer conferences (June) or winter conferences (November/December) in alternating European cities.
 



To the Euroconstruct website
https://www.euroconstruct.org

Conferences and publications

 
The Austrian construction industry will stagnate in 2022, despite high production increases. The massive increase in construction costs, which are expected to rise by around 10 percent in 2022 compared to the previous year, will dampen real growth in the construction industry significantly. In combination with the already expected downward trend in residential construction, 2023 will also see only low growth rates. The years 2024 and 2025 will then also be characterised by only weak momentum with rates below 1 percent, despite clear impulses in civil engineering.
 
The Autumn or Winter update on the development of European construction markets, presented at the 94th Euroconstruct conference organised by Experian and Barbour ABI in London on 18 November 2022, shows a flattening of construction markets in 2023 and 2024. The European construction industry is facing headwinds from various directions (like less favourable financing conditions, and high construction costs in combination with a general economic slowdown). Euroconstruct forecasts an average real growth in output of 0.3 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year. Overall, construction volume is forecasted to reach 1,902 billion € in the Euroconstruct area in 2023. The Euroconstruct Country Report provides detailed information about the construction market trends and its fundamentals in each of the 19 Euroconstruct member countries until 2025. The forecasts and analyses are presented at the country level and are based on a comparable harmonised dataset for the major construction sectors and indicators. The macroeconomic framework conditions are included additionally. With contributions by Anne-Sophie Alsif, Anders Bjerre, Anna Brinkhagen, Mohammed Chaudhri, Antonio Coimbra, Ludwig Dorffmeister, Thomas Endhoven, Josep Ramon Fontana, David Frič, János Gáspár, Roch-Eloi Grivet, Paul Groot, Annette Hughes, Michael Klien, Radovan Kostelník, Nathalie Kouassi, Vladimir Lenko, Jean-Pierre Liebaert, Patric Lindqvist, Nejra Macic, Simon Mahoney, Pascal Marlier, Sem van Meurs, Antonio Mura, Markku Riihimäki, Stefanie Siegrist, Mariusz Sochacki, Antonella Stemperini, Marte Herje Strømme, Mercedes Tascedda, Ludvig Uggla and Michael Weingärtler.
 
The 94th Euroconstruct forecasts from Autumn and Winter 2022 show stagnation in the construction markets covered by the 19 members of the network in 2023 and 2024. However, the development in the individual construction sub-sectors is varied. The weak development is mainly attributable to the unfavourable performance of residential construction, both in new buildings and in refurbishment. The era of low-interest rates led to a boom in new-build housing across Europe, but the situation has changed substantially in the past six months. While building construction, in general, is currently under pressure, European civil engineering is still showing a much better development, driven by ecological investments (sustainable transport infrastructure, power supply, etc.). Detailed results and forecasts were presented to a professional audience at the 94th Euroconstruct Conference in London (United Kingdom) on 18 November 2022. The Euroconstruct Summary Report provides a macroeconomic analysis and an overview of the European construction industry by sectors (housing, non-residential construction, and civil engineering; split into new and renovation, respectively) up to 2025. With contributions by Mohammed Chaudhri, Roch-Eloi Grivet, James Ison, Nathalie Kouassi, Pascal Marlier, Pekka Pajakkala, Markku Riihimäki, Mariusz Sochacki.
Workshops, conferences and other events, IET London: Savoy Place, London, 17.11.2022–18.11.2022, http://www.euroconstruct.org
Organised by: Barbour ABI – Experian
Online since: 20.10.2022 0:00
The Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) kindly invites you to the 94th Euroconstruct conference from 17th to 18th November 2022. Euroconstruct London 2022 is the premier event to understand exactly what the future looks like for construction across Europe. It is part of a semi-annual series of lectures on the medium-term outlook of the European construction markets covered by the Euroconstruct network of expert economists. Exclusive, first access to the latest macro-economic and construction market projections to 2025 plus expert speakers exploring the impact of ESG, rising costs and the energy crisis on construction across Europe. Be part of a discussion powered by expert analysts from across Europe: (1) How will the energy crisis impact demand and output of construction across Europe? (2) What will be the effect of rising inflation and what can be done to mitigate this? (3) What are the ESG implications of Russia: Ukraine War? Euroconstruct conferences are aimed at all those involved in construction activities: manufacturers of building materials and equipment, construction companies, designers, architects, engineers, contractors, investors, financiers, banks, insurers, and other related professions.
 
The recent Euroconstruct forecasts indicate a noticeable weakening of construction activity from 2022 onwards for Austria and Europe. Although the order situation in Austria remains strong, the assessment has changed significantly since the beginning of the year. While the Austrian construction industry survived the immediate COVID-19 crisis relatively unscathed, the sector has been struggling with ongoing construction cost problems since the exceptionally rapid recovery in 2021. The construction industry has been particularly affected by price increases in essential commodities such as steel and oil. Economic uncertainty is also increasing, further dampening the construction outlook until 2024.
 
The spring or summer update of the European construction market forecasts – presented at the 93rd Euroconstruct conference organised by PAB-PCR&F, in Warsaw from 9 to 10 June 2022 – confirmed an ongoing recovery of the European construction markets. The growth forecast for 2022 had to be lowered due to increasing multiple risks (like supply bottlenecks, increasing construction costs and inflation in general). Despite the challenging business environment, none of the Euroconstruct member countries expects a decline in construction volume. Euroconstruct forecasts an average real growth in output of 2.3 percent compared to the previous year. Overall, construction volume is forecasted to reach 1,896 billion € in the Euroconstruct area in 2022. The Euroconstruct Country Report provides detailed information about the construction market trends and its fundamentals in each of the 19 Euroconstruct member countries until 2024. The forecasts and analyses are presented at the country level and are based on a comparable harmonised dataset for the major construction sectors and indicators. The macroeconomic framework conditions are included additionally. With contributions by Barbour Abi, Anne-Sophie Alsif, Anna Brinkhagen, Anders Bjerre, Mohammed Chaudhri, Ludwig Dorffmeister, Antonio Coimbra, Thomas Endhoven, Josep Ramon Fontana, David Frič, János Gáspár, Johan Grip, Roch-Eloi Grivet, Paul Groot, Annette Hughes, Michael Klien, Radovan Kostelník, Nathalie Kouassi, Vladimir Lenko, Jean-Pierre Liebaert, Patric Lindqvist, Nejra Macic, Simon Mahoney, Arend Olthoff, Pascal Marlier, Antonio Mura, Markku Riihimäki, Stefanie Siegrist, Mariusz Sochacki, Antonella Stemperini, Mercedes Tascedda and Michael Weingärtler.
 
The latest forecasts from the 93rd Euroconstruct analysis confirm the ongoing recovery in European construction, even if the growth forecast for 2022 had to be lowered. Among the three construction sectors, growth is distributed evenly, with rates just above 2 percent in real terms. Residential construction mainly benefits from increased activities in the renovation sector, supported by public subsidy programmes. The growth in non-residential construction can be seen more like a rebound effect from the 2020 crisis. Civil engineering is supported by public subsidy programmes that serve to stimulate the economy. However, the current increases in construction costs and economic uncertainties due to the war in Ukraine are dampening the outlook to 2024. Detailed results and forecasts were presented to a professional audience at the 93rd Euroconstruct Conference in Warsaw (Poland) from 9 to 10 June 2022. The Euroconstruct Summary Report provides a macroeconomic analysis and an overview of the European construction industry by sectors (housing, non-residential construction, and civil engineering; split into new and renovation, respectively) up to 2024. With contributions by Yngve Abrahamsen, Ludwig Dorffmeister, Thomas Endhoven, Adam Sochacki and Mariusz Sochacki.
Workshops, conferences and other events, Varso Place, Warsaw, 09.06.2022–10.06.2022, https://www.euroconstruct.org
Organised by: Polish Construction Research & Forecasting Institute
Online since: 06.05.2022 0:00
European construction faces various crises and several new challenges. The economies throughout Europe are already experiencing the influence of the war in Ukraine. The upcoming construction market forecast event will deal with the resulting economic impact on the construction industry. Our Euroconstruct experts – Antonella Stemperini (CRESME RICERCHE, Italy), Josep Ramon Fontana (ITEC – The Catalonia Institute of Construction Technology, Spain), Mohammed Chaudhri (Construction Futures, Economics – Decision Analytics Experian, UK) and Adam Sochacki (PAB – Polish Construction Research & Forecasting Institute, Poland) – will put a spotlight on sectoral construction trends. This hybrid conference will be broadcasted from the Varso Place in Warsaw on 10 June 2022. All participants receive a link to an online stream and comprehensive information like the Euroconstruct Summary and Conference Report. The premium package includes also the highly requested Euroconstruct Country Report.
 
The economic picture in 2021 turned out better in the Austrian construction sector than predicted six months ago. Current official baseline data show a smaller decline in construction in 2020. Additionally, strong momentum in the first half of 2021 points to a significantly higher increase in construction output in 2021. Growth in the construction sector as a whole thus remained close to the overall European trend. Non-residential and civil engineering showed a relatively strong expansive development in 2021 which can be seen as a counter-reaction to the negative impact of the pandemic in the year before. Residential construction, which recorded the smallest declines and is already at a high level, shows the lowest growth potential.
 
The latest update of the European construction market forecasts presented at the 92nd Euroconstruct conference, organised by CRESME, in Verona, Italy on 11 to 12 November 2021 showed more favourable dynamics in European construction markets than the previous forecast. On the one hand, the pandemic-related decline was less severe in 2020. On the other hand, a stronger upswing is expected for 2021. Of the 19 Euroconstruct member countries, 17 recorded growth in construction for 2021. Only Germany and Slovakia show a declining development. The German construction industry was only slightly affected by the pandemic and is slowly weakening from a high level. Slovakian construction production was already contracting before the crisis. Construction markets in the other countries will expand in 2021, with the highest dynamics in Belgium, Italy and the United Kingdom. Overall, construction output in the Euroconstruct area is forecast to reach 1,740 billion € in 2021. The Euroconstruct Country Report provides detailed information about the construction market trends and its fundamentals in each of the 19 Euroconstruct member countries until 2024. The forecasts and analyses are presented on the country level and are based on a comparable harmonised dataset for the major construction sectors and indicators. The macroeconomic framework conditions are included additionally. – With contributions by Barbour Abi, Anne-Sophie Alsif, Anna Brinkhagen, Anders Bjerre, Harvir Dhillon, Ludwig Dorffmeister, Antonio Coimbra, Thomas Endhoven, Josep Ramon Fontana, David Frič, János Gáspár, Johan Grip, Roch-Eloi Grivet, Paul Groot, Tom Hall, Annette Hughes, Radovan Kostelník, Nathalie Kouassi, Michael Klien, Nathalie Kouassi, Vladimir Lenko, Jean-Pierre Liebaert, Nejra Macic, Arend Olt-hoff, Pascal Marlier, Markku Riihimäki, Stefanie Siegrist, Sara Snöbohm, Mariusz Sochacki, An-tonella Stemperini, Mercedes Tascedda and Michael Weingärtler.
 
The weaker negative impact of the pandemic on construction in 2020 compared to the overall economy and a strong upward trend in 2021 leads to a favourable economic picture in European construction. The latest forecasts from the 92nd Euroconstruct analysis show that the 2020 losses will be already fully compensated in 2021. Housing is a major contributor to this positive development. But in contrast to previous crises, the momentum is not coming exclusively from the new construction segment. In 2021, new residential construction, as well as housing renovation, will jointly contribute to the upswing. Significant impulses are also coming from civil engineering, especially from public construction programmes. The rebound in non-residential construction will also start in 2021 but to a much lesser extent. Detailed results and forecasts were presented to a professional audience at the 92nd Euroconstruct Conference in Verona, Italy from 11 to 12 November 2021. The Euroconstruct Summary Report provides a macroeconomic analysis and an overview of the European construction industry by sectors (housing, non-residential construction, and civil engineering; split in new and renovation, respectively) up to 2024. – With contributions by Roch-Eloi Grivet, Nathalie Kouassi, Pascal Marlier, Antonio Mura, Markku Riihimäki and Antonella Stemperini.
Workshops, conferences and other events, Palazzo Della Gran Guardia, Verona, 11.11.2021–12.11.2021, https://www.euroconstruct.org
Organised by: Cresme Ricerche Spa
Online since: 08.11.2021 0:00
CRESME, the Italian partner of the Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO), kindly invites to the 92nd Euroconstruct Conference on 11 and 12 November 2021. The biennial event will focus on questions like: How does the construction industry get out of the pandemic? Are labour shortages, disrupted supply chains and rising material prices hampering the economic recovery in the European construction industry? How do the individual subsectors of the construction industry develop until 2024? – The event will take place in Verona, Italy and there will be a webcast due to the ongoing challenging health situation in Europe. Join this (online) conference and benefit from numerous advantages, such as first-hand information about the construction markets from the Euroconstruct members and other experts. As an added bonus, all participants will receive the Euroconstruct Summary Report before the official sale date on 17 November 2021. For more details on the event, please visit our conference website.
 
In line with the European trend, the pandemic also affected the Austrian construction industry. After the landslide declines in the spring of 2020, the situation stabilised visibly, and many sectors were able to return to pre-crisis levels as early as the summer of 2020. After the turn of the year, momentum in construction picked up significantly in March 2021, and despite renewed lockdowns in many sectors of the economy, construction was able to continue its recovery path relatively unhindered. Total construction is expected to grow by 3.5 percent in 2021 in Austria, with the best outlook non-residential construction – however this must be seen as a counter-reaction to the crisis, as this was also the sector where the biggest losses were recorded in 2020.
 
The recovery of the European construction industry is more rapid than initially expected, with much of the losses from the Corona pandemic expected to be recovered in 2021. According to the latest estimates, construction volume in the Euroconstruct area will grow by 3.8 percent in 2021, following a slump of 5.1 percent in 2020. Compared to the previous forecasts, the decline in 2020 was less than expected, and the pre-crisis level will thus be reached again by 2022 at the latest. Against the backdrop of significantly more favourable economic conditions in the EC-19, the construction industry is also benefitting from an overall rapid economic recovery. Unlike the past years, however, the construction industry will show a lower growth dynamic than the overall economy from 2022 onwards: while the growth rates of the construction industry in 2022 and 2023 will be 3.0 percent and 2.1 percent, the economies of the EC-19 will expand by 4.4 percent and 2.0 percent. – Detailed results and forecasts were presented to a professional audience at the 91st Euroconstruct Conference held as a webinar, on 10 to 11 June 2021. The Euroconstruct Summary Report provides a macroeconomic analysis and an overview of the European construction industry by sectors (housing, non-residential construction and civil engineering; split in new and renovation, respectively) up to 2023. With contributions by Yngve Abrahamsen, Thomas Endhoven, Michael Klien, Sadia Sheikh and Michael Weingärtler.
 
The summer update of the European construction market forecasts – presented at the 91st Euroconstruct conference, hosted by the Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) and streamed from Vienna on 10 to 11 June 2021 – indicated a strong rebound in construction in 2021. The past year of 2020 brought drastic declines in total construction output in almost all EC countries – apart from Denmark, Finland, Portugal and Sweden. The countries France, Ireland, Spain, the United Kingdom, Hungary and Slovakia recorded high single-digit or even double-digit declines. The construction industry in the Nordic countries was more resilient to the pandemic, with positive growth rates in several countries. This contrasts with a negative growth trend in the Eastern European countries, where the Czech Republic and Poland came off somewhat more lightly. The picture in continental and southern Europe is very heterogeneous. Overall, total construction output of 1,702 billion € is forecasted for 2021 within the Euroconstruct area. The Euroconstruct Country Report provides detailed information about the construction market trends and its fundamentals in each of the 19 Euroconstruct member countries until 2023. The forecasts and analyses are presented on the country level and are based on a comparable harmonised dataset for the major construction sectors and indicators. The macroeconomic framework conditions are included additionally. With contributions by Anne-Sophie Alsif, Anna Brinkhagen, Anders Bjerre, Ludwig Dorffmeister, Antonio Coimbra, Thomas Endhoven, Josep Ramon Fontana, David Frič, János Gáspár, Johan Grip, Roch-Eloi Grivet, Paul Groot, Annette Hughes, Radovan Kostelník, Nathalie Kouassi, Michael Klien, Nathalie Kouassi, Vladimir Lenko, Jean-Pierre Liebaert, Nejra Macic, Pascal Marlier, Markku Riihimäki, Sadia Sheikh, Stefanie Siegrist, Radislav Semenov, Sara Snöbohm, Mariusz Sochacki, Antonella Stemperini and Michael Weingärtler.
Workshops, conferences and other events, 10.06.2021, https://www.euroconstruct.org
Organised by: Austrian Institute of Economic Research
Online since: 27.01.2021 0:00
The Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) kindly invites to the 91st Euroconstruct conference on 10 to 11 June 2021. The event will focus on the update of the European construction market forecasts in the wake of the unfolding COVID-19 crisis. Throughout the event, decision-makers and experts from banking, housing, non-residential construction and civil engineering will contribute with their expertise. The ongoing tense health situation in Europe again requires that the event is organised as a webinar. Join this online conference to receive numerous advantages like first-hand construction market information from the Euroconstruct members and benefit from an interactive participation during question and answer sessions. Furthermore all participants will receive the Euroconstruct Summary Report before the official sales date on 16 June 2021. More details about the event will be continuously updated on our conference website.
Workshops, conferences and other events, 23.11.2020, https://www.euroconstruct.org
Organised by: Austrian Institute of Economic Research
WIFO's German Euroconstruct partner, ifo Institute, is pleased to invite to the 90th Euroconstruct Conference on 23 November 2020. The conference is organised as a hybrid event. A limited number of participants will be able to attend the event at The Charles Hotel, at least as far as the COVID-19 situation allows (first come, first serve). Additionally, the event will be streamed online for those with travel restrictions. Besides the bi-annual construction market forecasts a special theme will deal with the consequences of the energy transition in Europe. In addition to top-class experts from the real estate and construction industry, participants can expect an outstanding social programme for networking.
 
The COVID-19 crisis caused the Austrian economy to suffer its worst slump since World War II. The declines are concentrated in the second quarter of 2020, where the economic and social life was at times severely restricted by the lockdown. However, the recovery was faster compared to previous crises. The particularly strong momentum of the pandemic is also clearly visible in the construction industry. With the construction site closures in March, production dropped sharply. However, the recovery was just as rapid and stronger than in other sectors. This underlines the good starting position of the Austrian construction industry before the breakout of the pandemic. By summer 2020, production activity had already returned to the previous year's level. The rapid recovery and good order situation should also ensure stable, but weaker growth rates in the coming years.
 
The latest European construction market forecasts – presented at the 90th Euroconstruct conference, hosted by ifo Institut, Munich and held on 24 November 2020 as a webinar – show that the effects of the COVID-19 crisis clearly dominate the development of the construction industry in 2020 and beyond. However, the impact on the economy and on construction varies considerably from one country to another. After an overall European construction market decline in 2020, the outlook from 2021 to 2023 is positive with an expected construction volume exceeding the 2019 pre-COVID-19 level. The Euroconstruct Country Report provides detailed information about the construction market trends and its fundamentals in each of the 19 Euroconstruct member countries until 2023. The forecasts and analyses are presented on the country level and are based on a comparable harmonised dataset for the major construction sectors and indicators. The macroeconomic framework conditions are included additionally. With contributions by Anne-Sophie Alsif, Anders Bjerre, Christian Brander, Paul Donadieu de Lavit, Ludwig Dorffmeister, Antonio Coimbra, Thomas Ekvall, Thomas Endhoven, Josep Ramon Fontana, David Frič, Anne Kathrin Funk, János Gáspár, Paul Groot, Mirjam Hegglin, Annette Hughes, Jeffrey Kok, Radovan Kostelník, Nathalie Kouassi, Michael Klien, Nathalie Kouassi, Vladimir Lenko, David Lund, Jean-Pierre Liebaert, Nejra Macic, Pascal Marlier, Markku Riihimäki, Sadia Sheikh, Radislav Semenov, Kjell Senneset, Sara Snöbohm, Mariusz Sochacki, Antonella Stemperini and Michael Weingärtler.
 
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the volume of the construction market declined in almost the entire Euroconstruct area in 2020. The forecasts from autumn are, however, somewhat more favourable compared to the earlier estimates in spring 2020. A rebound in construction is expected for 2021 but uncertainties are increasing not least because of the repeated lockdown measures in numerous European countries in late autumn 2020. From a sectoral point of view, all construction segments are affected by the current crisis with significant losses in residential and non-residential construction. In contrast to the past crises, this time there was also a sharp decline in the renovation market. – Detailed results and forecasts were presented to a professional audience at the 90th Euroconstruct Conference held as a webinar, on 24 November 2020. The Euroconstruct Summary Report provides a macroeconomic analysis and an overview of the European construction industry by sectors (housing, non-residential construction and civil engineering; split in new and renovation, respectively) up to 2023. With contributions by Yngve Abrahamsen, Christian Brander, Markku Riihimäki, Mariusz Sochacki and Sara Snöbohm.
 
The soft landing of the Austrian economy was abruptly ended by the deep recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the policy restrictions to contain it. Despite this external shock, the general conditions for the Austrian construction industry are not all pessimistic. Even after peaking in 2018, the industry produced growth rates well above 2 percent before the COVID-19 pandemic, with a large backlog of orders for 2020. Although the construction industry will be in recession in 2020, the output drop is less pronounced than in other sectors. Moreover, currently demand has suffered only to a lower extent, which means that the recovery can begin as early as the second half of 2020.
 
The latest European construction market forecasts – presented at the 89th Euroconstruct conference, hosted by Prognoscentret AB, Stockholm and held on 12 June 2020 as a webinar – show that the European construction industry is being hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis. Total construction output will fall to a value of 1,500 billion € in 2020, which is the same level as in 2015. With a few exceptions, all EC-19 countries are experiencing a decline in 2020, with the UK and Ireland predicting the largest downturn. Against the background of the improving health situation, there will be a recovery as early as next year. – The Euroconstruct Country Report provides detailed information on the construction market trends and its fundamentals in each of the 19 Euroconstruct member countries until 2022. The forecasts and analyses are presented on the country level and are based on a harmonised dataset for the major construction sectors and indicators. The macroeconomic framework conditions are included additionally. With contributions by Anne-Sophie Alsif, Anders Bjerre, Christian Brander, Paul Donadieu de Lavit, Ludwig Dorffmeister, Antonio Coimbra, Thomas Ekvall, Mariem En-Nasiry, Josep Ramon Fontana, David Frič, Anne Kathrin Funk, János Gáspár, Paul Groot, Annette Hughes, Radovan Kostelník, Michael Klien, Nathalie Kouassi, Vladimir Lenko, Sonya Patel, Jean-Pierre Liebaert, Nejra Macic, Pascal Marlier, Markku Riihimäki, Radislav Semenov, Sara Snöbohm, Mariusz Sochacki, Antonella Stemperini, Michael Weingärtler.
 
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, virtually all EC-19 countries are experiencing a decline in 2020, with the largest downturn for the UK and Ireland. Total construction output is expected to fall to 1,500 billion Euro in 2020, which is the same level as in 2015. All sub-sectors are affected by the crisis, but some are more than others. In the 19 Euroconstruct countries, the least affected sector is civil engineering, which is expected to decline by 7.2 percent this year and then recover in 2021 and 2022 with growth rates of 7.4 and 3.5 percent, respectively. The forecasted losses in both residential and non-residential construction are much more severe: they are expected to shrink by just over 12 percent in 2020 and improve by 3 to 6 percent p.a. in 2021 and 2022. – With contributions by Christian Brander, Josep Ramon Fontana, Tuomas Laitinen, Nejra Macic, Sara Snöbohm.
Workshops, conferences and other events, 12.06.2020, https://www.euroconstruct.org
Organised by: Austrian Institute of Economic Research
Online since: 24.02.2020 0:00
WIFO's Swedish Euroconstruct partner Prognoscentret AB is pleased to invite to the 89th Euroconstruct Conference on 12 June 2020. Due to the extraordinary circumstances right now, this summer's conference will be organised as a live streamed conference from a top-class studio in Stockholm. Join us to receive the first estimates on the impact of the Coronavirus on European construction. Enjoy lectures on housing, non-residential construction, civil engineering and construction as well as related topics presented by leading experts within the fields of forecasting, European economic policies and politics, sustainable communication, demographic and societal trends. The conference will of course be interactive, meaning you will have far-reaching opportunities to comment and ask questions directly to the host and speakers throughout the day! See the full programme and details on our conference website.
 
In 2019, Austrian construction activity rose with growth rates above 2 percent. Nevertheless, 2019 marks already the first year of a more moderate development. WIFO forecasts expect only a slow increase of construction volumes over the entire period from 2020 to 2022. Importantly, housing will lose its momentum and grow by roughly 1 percent over the next years. However, even if growth will slow down significantly, the housing rate of around 6 building permits per 1,000 inhabitants will remain one of the highest in Europe. Civil engineering exhibits the most promising outlook, primarily because transport infrastructure plans suggest higher investments in the Austrian rail and road network.
 
The latest European construction market forecasts – presented at the 88th Euroconstruct conference – show only weak construction growth over the period 2020 to 2022. Regional differences remain strong: while Eastern European countries continue their expansion, countries like Finland and Germany have peaked already and expect negative rates in the future. In France, Sweden and Switzerland, the construction market is forecasted to stagnate over the next years. The Euroconstruct Country Report provides detailed information about the construction market trends and its fundamentals in each of the 19 Euroconstruct member countries until 2022. The forecasts and analyses are presented on the country level and are based on a comparable harmonised dataset for the major construction sectors and indicators. The macroeconomic framework conditions are included additionally. – With contributions by Anders Bjerre, Christian Brander, Paul Donadieu de Lavit, Ludwig Dorffmeister, Antonio Coimbra, Josep Ramon Fontana, David Frič, Anne Kathrin Funk, Anna Gáspár, Paul Groot, Annette Hughes, Radovan Kostelník, Nathalie Kouassi, Michael Klien, Vladimir Lenko, Sonya Patel, Jean-Pierre Liebaert, Nejra Macic, Pascal Marlier, Renaud Muller, Valentin, Nicaise, Mattias Pettersson, Markku Riihimäki, Radislav Semenov, Mariusz Sochacki, Antonella Stemperini, Michael Weingärtler.
 
European construction market growth is expected to slowdown in 2019 and it will stay at lower rates until 2022. Due to weakening (new) residential construction, especially the building sector will grow only marginally over the next years. Moreover, the expected economic dampening will negatively affect several segments of non-residential construction. On the upside, increased infrastructure needs and improved public sector finances support civil engineering, especially in the area of transport infrastructure. Detailed results and forecasts were presented to a professional audience at the 88th Euroconstruct conference in Warsaw, November 2019. The Euroconstruct Summary Report provides a macroeconomic analysis and an overview of the European construction industry by sectors (housing, non-residential construction and civil engineering; split in new and renovation, respectively) up to 2022. – With contributions by Josep R. Fontana, Radovan Kostelník, Vladimír Lenko, Dominika Odoszewska, Sonya Patel, Mariusz Sochacki.
WIFO
Workshops, conferences and other events, Warsaw, 28.11.2019–30.11.2019, https://www.euroconstruct.org
Online since: 19.09.2019 0:00
WIFO's Polish Euroconstruct partner PAB (Polish Construction Research & Forecasting Institute) is pleased to invite to the 88th Euroconstruct Conference held in Warsaw on 28-30 November 2019. The conference will focus on the European construction market forecasts towards 2022. Further discussions at this unique event will be on the latest issues in the European construction sector, including the consequences of a hard Brexit, the impact of the economic slowdown in the largest EU countries as well as the technological changes in the construction sector. Pre-events on Thursday 28 November, such as a visit to the Warsaw Rising Museum and a business dinner, as well as a post event on Saturday 30 November (construction site bus tour through Warsaw) will additionally offer a wide range of networking opportunities.
 
The economic environment for the Austrian construction industry was very favourable in 2018 with growth rates well above the EU average. The WIFO forecasts indicate that the growth differential will decrease over time, resulting in a slower overall economic expansion by 1.7 percent in 2019. This slowdown is negatively affecting the non-residential construction sectors, above all office construction. But also the housing market appears to have peaked in 2018, with lower growth projections until 2021. Following the European trend, Austrian civil engineering is the segment with the highest growth prospects, mainly due to planned investments in the road and rail network. Although Austrian construction is weakening, all segments of construction are expected to continue to grow until 2021.
 
The latest construction market forecasts – presented at the 87th Euroconstruct conference on 12-13 June 2019 – confirm the slowdown in European construction dynamics. Construction growth in the 19 Euroconstruct countries will continue until 2021, albeit with lower rates. From a regional perspective, the Eastern European countries have the best prospects. Among the Western European countries, construction output is growing most in Spain, Ireland and Portugal – these are the countries that were hit most strongly by the economic crisis. Netherlands and Norway, too, show robust growth prospects. The Euroconstruct Country Report provides detailed information about the construction market trends and its fundamentals in each of the 19 Euroconstruct member countries until 2021. The forecasts and analyses are presented on the country level and are based on a comparable harmonised dataset for the major construction sectors and indicators. The macroeconomic framework conditions are included additionally. – With contributions by Anders Bjerre, Christian Brander, Paul Donadieu de Lavit, Ludwig Dorffmeister, Antonio Coimbra, Tomáš Dubovec, Josep Ramon Fontana, David Frič, Anne Kathrin Funk, Anna Gáspár, Paul Groot, James Hastings, Annette Hughes, Nathalie Kouassi, Michael Klien, Vladimir Lenko, Jean-Pierre Liebaert, Erwan Le Saint, Nejra Macic, Pascal Marlier, David McNamara, Renaud Muller, Mattias Pettersson, Markku Riihimäki, Radislav Semenov, Mariusz Sochacki, Antonella Stemperini, Michael Weingärtler.
 
Growth in construction output continues until 2021 in the 19 Euroconstruct member countries. Nevertheless, growth rates are decreasing and in one building division or another, downturns are becoming more likely. The housing market is expected to exhibit the weakest performance among the segments. Two out of five countries expect a decline in new residential construction in 2020, which is typically driven by the segment of new-built housing. Furthermore, the expected maturing of the business cycle will affect the non-residential construction market negatively, putting pressure on the office and industrial sector. Although growth in civil engineering is also declining in the forecasting period, it is estimated to be the segment with the highest growth potential. A high level of public investment especially in transport infrastructure is stimulating this market segment. The detailed results and forecasts were presented to a professional audience at the 87th Euroconstruct conference in Rome. The Euroconstruct Summary Report provides a macroeconomic analysis and an overview of the European construction industry by sectors (housing, non-residential construction and civil engineering; new and renovation, respectively) up to 2021. – With contributions by Nejra Macic, Antonio Mura, Bjorn-Eric Oye, Markku Riihimäki, Kjell Senneset, Mariusz Sochacki, Antonella Stemperini.
Workshops, conferences and other events, 12.06.2019–13.06.2019, https://www.euroconstruct.org
Organised by: Austrian Institute of Economic Research
Online since: 19.03.2019 0:00
WIFO's Italian Euroconstruct partner CRESME, host of the 87th Euroconstruct conference on 12-13 June 2019 kindly invites to an update on European construction market trends towards 2021. The special topic of the afternoon session is about "Investing in water and water management". A separate conference day on the topic "water" will be held on Friday, 14 June 2019 providing further in-depth analysis on the impact on environment, cities and buildings. This optional event is free of charge for all Euroconstruct conference visitors.
 
Austria continues to face a favourable economic development in 2018, with a GDP growth rate above the EU average (+3.0 percent according to the latest WIFO short-term forecast). However, following increasing uncertainty which may hamper international trade, economic dynamics are expected to slow down notably in 2019. Business expectations of Austrian construction firms keep improving, which is mirrored in ongoing, albeit slowing down, growth in construction output after the growth peak in 2017. In upcoming years, output is expected to grow in all construction segments. In 2018, residential construction will still be the growth driver, however. After 2019, the civil engineering segment is expected to pick up speed. The non-residential construction segment is also expected to grow steadily until 2021, at slowly declining pace.
 
The latest construction market forecasts presented at the 86th Euroconstruct conference foresee continuing annual growth in construction output in the 19 Euroconstruct member countries until 2021. After the growth peak in 2017, however, construction market growth will slow down from year to year. The growth path is more promising in Eastern Europe, especially in Poland. Among the Western European countries, the outlook is specifically favourable in Portugal, Norway and the Netherlands. Albeit the overall positive forecast, Swedish construction output is predicted to shrink from 2019. In Germany development is expected to turn negative in 2020 after a long period of continuous construction growth. The Euroconstruct Country Report provides more detailed information on the construction market trends and its fundamentals in each of the 19 Euroconstruct member countries until 2021. The forecasts and analyses are presented on the country level and are based on a comparable harmonised dataset for the major construction sectors and indicators. The macroeconomic framework conditions are included additionally. – With contributions by Julia Bachtrögler, Anders Bjerre, Paul Donadieu, Ludwig Dorffmeister, Antonio Coimbra, Tomáš Dubovec, Josep Ramon Fontana, David Frič, Anne Kathrin Funk, Anna Gáspár, Paul Groot, James Hastings, Bengt Henricson, Annette Hughes, Nathalie Kouassi, Michael Klien, Vladimir Lenko, Jean-Pierre Liebaert, Nejra Macic, Ciara Morley, Renaud Muller, Valentin Niçaise, Markku Riihimäki, Radislav Semenov, Mariusz Sochacki, Antonella Stemperini, Michael Weingärtler, Youssef Yacoubi.
 
The construction forecasts presented at the 86th Euroconstruct conference foresee continuing annual growth in construction output in the 19 Euroconstruct member countries until 2021. After a growth peak in 2017, the growth rate of total construction output in 2018 was revised upwards by 1 percentage point to +2.8 percent at constant prices compared to the previous year. Together with the overall economic outlook, construction investment growth is expected to slow down in upcoming years. In 2017 strong construction growth was driven by, especially new, building construction. The growth rate was largest for total residential construction (+5.6 percent), which is expected to decline to +2.8 percent in 2018 and stagnate further in the years towards 2021. Likewise, a slowdown is expected for total non-residential construction in 2018 (+1.5 percent) as well as in subsequent years. A slightly different pattern is foreseen for the civil engineering segment, which is expected to expand extraordinarily by 5.0 percent on average in the Euroconstruct countries in 2018. In the following years, growth rates are predicted to fall as well but continuously exceed those of building construction. The Euroconstruct Summary Report provides a macroeconomic analysis and an overview of the European construction industry by sectors (housing, non-residential construction and civil engineering, new and renovation, respectively) up to 2021. – With contributions by Anders Bjerre, Matijas Kocijan, Valérie Plagnol, Pascal Marlier, Renaud Muller, Valentin Nicaise, Markku Riihimäki, Mariusz Sochacki, Youssef Yacoubi.
WIFO
86th Euroconstruct Conference: European Construction Market Forecasts to 2021 (86th Euroconstruct Conference: European Construction Market Forecasts to 2021)
Workshops, conferences and other events, 22.11.2018
Organised by: Euroconstruct
Online since: 24.10.2018 0:00
WIFO's Euroconstruct partner, BDO BIPE Advisory, is hosting the 86th Euroconstruct conference in November 2018. The conference deals with European construction markets and gives updated forecasts to 2021. A special focus of the conference will be put on challenges to build metropolises of tomorrow: the learnings from Greater Paris.
 
Austria is on a track of economic expansion with solid growth in 2017 (GDP +2.9 percent). Strong foreign trade and high business confidence were driving industrial investments. Labour markets are improving – having a positive impact on private consumption which additionally supports the economic development. Therefore, the outlook for 2018 is more optimistic than previously anticipated. The construction business benefits from this economic framework. All construction segments are currently exhibiting growth, with the strongest increases in non-residential construction and civil engineering. The residential construction market in Austria is in the midst of an expansion phase where dynamics are expected to slow down towards 2020.
 
The latest construction market forecasts presented at the 85th Euroconstruct conference, hosted by Forecon in Finland on 7-8 June 2018 confirmed the current peak in construction growth in 2017. Over the period 2018 to 2020 the European construction market will continue to grow, albeit at decreasing rates. The Eastern European countries exhibit the most promising growth path, especially Poland and Hungary. Regarding Western Europe, the outlook is brightest for Spain and France. Despite the generally positive development, a number of countries will face a decline in total output in 2019 and 2020. Among the Nordic countries, construction output is expected to shrink in Sweden and Finland. Also in Germany, after years of continued construction growth, a lower output is likely in the coming years. The Euroconstruct Country Report provides more detailed information on the construction market trends and its fundamentals in each of the 19 Euroconstruct member countries until 2020. The forecasts and analyses are presented on the country level and are based on a comparable harmonised dataset for the major construction sectors and indicators. The macroeconomic framework conditions are included additionally. – With contributions by Julia Bachtrögler, Anders Bjerre, Paul Donadieu, Ludwig Dorffmeister, Antonio Coimbra, Josep Ramon Fontana, Anne Kathrin Funk, Anna Gáspár, Neil Gibson, Paul Groot, James Hastings, Bengt Henricson, Annette Hughes, Matijas Kocijan, Nathalie Kouassi, Michael Klien, Vladimir Lenko, Jean-Pierre Liebaert, Nejra Macic, Dana Maléřová, Renaud Muller, Jan Müller, Valentin Niçaise, Markku Riihimäki, Radislav Semenov, Mariusz Sochacki, Antonella Stemperini, Michael Weingärtler, Youssef Yacoubi.
 
The construction forecasts presented at the 85th Euroconstruct conference confirmed the strong growth in 2017. Total construction output in 2017 was slightly revised upwards to +3.9 percent in 2017 at constant prices compared to the previous year. High business confidence and a sound foreign trade (exports +4.8 percent) were driving industrial and construction investments. Construction growth in European residential construction was comparatively high in 2017 (+4.7 percent) but it has already lost momentum compared to 2016. Especially in the housing segment and in non-residential construction, a continued slowdown is expected towards 2020. On the other hand, a backlog in public infrastructure investments, particularly in the transport segment, will generate significant growth in several European countries in the upcoming years. The Euroconstruct Summary Report provides a macroeconomic analysis and an overview of the European construction industry by sectors (housing, non-residential construction and civil engineering; new and renovation, respectively) up to 2020. – With contributions by Anders Bjerre, Markku Riihimäki, Antonella Stemperini, Mariusz Sochacki
Workshops, conferences and other events, 07.06.2018–08.06.2018, https://www.euroconstruct.org
Organised by: Austrian Institute of Economic Research
Commissioned by: Euroconstruct
Online since: 12.04.2018 0:00
The Finnish Euroconstruct partner, Forecon, is hosting the 85th Euroconstruct conference in June 2018. The conference deals with European construction markets and gives updated forecasts to 2020. A further focus of the conference will be on the development of the built environment. The event starts with a visit to the Helsinki Central Library Oodi where construction will be near completion at the time. The visit will culminate in a gala dinner for networking. The venue of the conference is the Finlandia Hall in the centre of Helsinki.
 
Austria's overall economic performance was much stronger than expected half year ago leading to a GDP growth of 2.8 percent in real terms compared to the previous year. The 84th Euroconstruct conference showed that the dynamic economic upswing also influenced the construction sector positively, leading to a growth pattern similar to the overall economy. Industry surveys from the WIFO-Konjunkturtest confirm this positive picture: since spring 2017, the assessments of Austrian construction firms about the future business situation are on a extraordinarily high level. Such optimistic expectations were last recorded in the 1990s. Additionally over 80 percent of the construction companies stated to have an at least sufficient stock of orders. All construction segments are currently exhibiting positive growth trends, with the strongest increases in non-residential construction and civil engineering. Construction growth will continue in the upcoming years, but speed will slow down towards 2020.
 
The latest construction market forecasts presented at the 84th Euroconstruct conference show two remarkable trends: First, growth in construction output reached its highest value since 2006, shortly before the breakout of the international financial market crisis. Second, in 2017 the European construction market expanded on a broad basis: for the first time since German reunification all countries exhibit a growth in construction. From the current point of view the probability is high that this positive market development will continue during the next years. – With contributions by Anders Bjerre, Jan Blahoňovský, Ludwig Dorffmeister, Josep Ramon Fontana, Anne Kathrin Funk, Anna Gáspár, Paul Groot, James Hastings, Bengt Henricson, Annette Hughes, Michael Klien, Vladimir Lenko, Jean-Pierre Liebaert, Nejra Macic, Ciara Morley, Renaud Muller, Barbora Pospíšilová, Markku Riihimäki, Emmanuel Rozenkier, Radislav Semenov, Mariusz Sochacki, Antonella Stemperini, Amaury de Souancé, Deogratias Urayeneza, Conceição Vital, Michael Weingärtler, Youssef Yacoubi.
 
The construction forecasts presented at the 84th Euroconstruct conference show a strong development in the construction industry in 2017. Total construction output is expected to grow dynamically by 3.5 percent in 2017 (constant prices) compared to the previous year. The favourable development is driven by robust economic growth and its positive implications for household income, corporate profits and public finance. This resulted in slightly higher annual growth in 2017 than expected. Growth rates will slow to some extent towards 2020 in both residential construction and non-residential construction, while civil engineering will take over the role of market driver in the medium term. The civil engineering sector is expected to grow at a rate of over 4 percent in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The Euroconstruct Summary Report provides a macroeconomic analysis and an overview of the European construction industry by sectors (housing, non-residential construction and civil engineering; new and renovation, respectively) up to 2020. – With contributions by Ludwig Dorffmeister, Bengt Henricson, Josep R. Fontana, Pekka Pajakkala.
Workshops, conferences and other events, Munich, 23.-24.11.2017, https://www.euroconstruct.org
Organised by: Euroconstruct
Online since: 09.08.2017 0:00
WIFO's Euroconstruct partner, the ifo Institute, is hosting the 84th Euroconstruct conference in November 2017. The conference deals with European construction market forecasts to 2020. Special lectures on Iran and Mexico will be additionally covered by the Munich programme. A pre-conference event is scheduled on the evening before the conference. The first part of this event is reserved for a key-note speech on European real estate markets and a focus on Germany. This will take place at the University of Munich (LMU). The second part will be a social event with gala dinner at the Olympic Tower.
 
The 83rd Euroconstruct Conference confirms Austria's growth path in the construction sector in the upcoming years. Nevertheless construction output is expected to increase only by 1.6 percent at constant prices in 2017 compared to the previous year which is significantly lower than the average of 2.9 percent in the Euroconstruct region. It has to be considered that Austria has already one of the highest numbers of building permits per 1,000 inhabitants in Europe additionally supported by numerous public housing programmes. Therefore growth in residential construction is limited. On the other hand the steadily improving economic framework, pushed by improving labour markets and higher private consumption along with improving export markets is driving non-residential construction (+2.1 percent) in 2017. Apart from that civil engineering is expected to remain weak with low investments in energy and water works. Growth in civil engineering can be mainly expected from the traffic infrastructure area, all above from investments into the road and railway network.
 
The recent construction market forecasts presented at the 83rd Euroconstruct Conference indicate a continuing growth path of the European construction industry. Construction output in the Euroconstruct region expanded by 2.5 percent at constant prices in 2016 compared to the previous year. Construction markets improved in 11 out of 19 countries in 2017, leading to a stronger growth than previously expected. The projections for 2018 and 2019 are also generally favourable, nevertheless uncertainty is increasing and growth is expected to level off at rates of about 2.5 and 2.0 percent, respectively. Hungary, Ireland and the Dutch market are expected to show the highest dynamics while on the other hand construction output in Germany (Europe's largest market) could peak in 2018 and face a decline in 2019 according the latest projections. The Euroconstruct Country Reports provide more detailed information on the construction market trends and its fundamentals in each of the 19 Euroconstruct member countries until 2019. The forecasts and analyses are presented on the country level and are based on a comparable harmonised dataset for the major construction sectors and indicators. The macroeconomic framework conditions are included additionally. – With contributions by Yngve Abrahamsen, Anders Bjerre, Jan Blahoňovský, Ludwig Dorffmeister, Josep Ramon Fontana, Anna Gáspár, Paul Groot, James Hastings, Bengt Henricson, Annette Hughes, Michael Klien, Matijas Kocijan, Vladimir Lenko, Jean-Pierre Liebaert, Nejra Macic, Ciara Morley, Renaud Muller, Barbora Pospíšilová, Stéphane Radureau, Markku Riihimäki, Emmanuel Rozenkier, Radislav Semenov, Adam Sochacki, Mariusz Sochacki, Antonella Stemperini, Dominik Studer, Deogratias Urayeneza, Conceição Vital, Michael Weingärtler, Youssef Yacoubi.
 
The construction forecasts presented at the 83rd Euroconstruct Conference show a sound development in the construction industry in 2017. The residential construction sector is driving the market substantially. From a regional perspective major impulses are expected from the French market, as well as from Sweden within the Nordics, from Ireland within the group of smaller countries and from Hungary in the Eastern European region which is covered by Euroconstruct. The Euroconstruct Summary Report provides a macroeconomic analysis and an overview of the European construction industry by sectors (housing, non-residential construction and civil engineering; new and renovation, respectively) up to 2019. – With contributions by Yngve Abrahamsen, Jorrit Bakker, Anders Bjerre, Radislav Semenov, Paul Tang, Oebele Vries, Michael Weingärtler.
WIFO's Euroconstruct partner institute EIB is hosting the 83th Euroconstruct conference in June 2017. The conference focuses on European construction market forecasts until 2019 in an uncertain macroeconomic and political environment. A special topic is dealing with circular economic policies. A pre-conference networking event will be held at the A'dam Tower on 8 June, the main conference takes at Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky, Amsterdam on 9 June 2017.
Contact

Dr. Michael Klien

Function: Senior Economist
Research groups: Regional Economics and Spatial Analysis

Michael Weingärtler

Function: Research assistant
Research groups: Regional Economics and Spatial Analysis