Singapore construction firms seen stepping up tech adoption: report

Many are prioritising AI deployment.

Construction firms in Singapore are looking to expand their use of tech and are investing over 20% of their budgets to ramp up digitalisation efforts, according a joint report by Autodesk and Deloitte.

The report found that Singapore construction companies generally use 5.0 technologies which many considered to have improved their operational efficiency, helped reduce costs and enhanced their relationships with customers.

Among the top barriers hindering firms from adopting new tech include the lack of skills to utilise them, insufficient budget and reluctance of staff to adapt.

Across Asia Pacific, Singapore placed in the middle of the pack in terms of digital tech adoption, at par with Australia and Hong Kong but lagging behind India and Malaysia which were hailed as leaders in tech adoption.

Moving forward, companies in the Lion City are keen on forging ahead as the study found the average Singaporean construction firm is planning to implement an average of 7.0 technology, higher than its neighbours, and are investing more than a fifth of their expenditures into new tehc. 

The vast majority or 98% consider AI as an important technology to drive business growth.

The report titled “State of Digital Adoption in the Construction Industry 2024” explored digital adoption trends in the construction sector with insights from 933 companies in Singapore, Australia, Japan, India, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Construction activities in Singapore remained strong thanks to a healthy pipeline of infrastructure and residential projects, according to RCIS.