FM newsroom – PropTech, Real Estate Innovation, DataDrivenFM. At the Portfolio Future of Construction 2025 conference, experts highlighted how digitalisation is rapidly reshaping the way buildings are designed, built and managed. They discussed how the biggest efficiency gains ahead will come from smarter processes, integrated data and technologies that support—not replace—the workforce.
Digitalisation: A Marathon for the Built Environment
At the conference, Zoltán Tóth, Representative for Digitalisation and Innovation at Strabag’s South-East Europe Division, reminded the audience that digital transformation “is a marathon, not a sprint.” Strabag is steering its operations towards a fully digital workflow by building a group-level development centre, expanding international expert networks and implementing lean projects across markets.
This strategy materialises through hands-on training centres, simulator-based instruction for manual workers, an integrated application portfolio and harmonised cross-border process standards. One standout example: AI-enabled cameras that instantly detect people near heavy machinery and stop the equipment to prevent accidents. Strabag tests new tools through targeted pilots and compiles learnings into detailed case studies.
Market Pressures Are Driving Innovation
In the panel following Tóth’s presentation, moderated by Tibor Massányi, Managing Director of DVM Group, the conversation turned to the sector’s current market contraction and how companies are adapting – as reported in Portfolio.
Tibor Dávid, Founder and Majority Owner of Masterplast, noted that residential construction is beginning to expand again thanks to government programmes. He argued that crisis periods are ideal for efficiency projects, as they provide breathing space to rethink processes.
From the distribution side, Csilla Szórády, CEO of Újház, shared a sharp shift: after a record 2022, the company had to reduce its workforce by 25%. Yet the workload has barely shrunk. She highlighted that digitalisation has become essential—her invoicing team now operates at half its previous size thanks to process automation.
At Strabag, innovation is embedded directly into everyday operations rather than funded through a separate budget. According to Zoltán Tóth, this model places pressure on leadership but ensures developments remain practical and value-driven.
New Tools and New Markets
For some companies, each year presents a different challenge. Gábor Papp, CEO and Innovation Lead at Stratos Magasépítő, described shifting from pandemic disruptions to material shortages and now to subcontractor scarcity. One subcontractor even lacked its own tools—highlighting the urgent need for process oversight and digital transparency.
His response has been to build a proprietary enterprise management system and explore new markets such as energy-efficiency retrofits. Using drones, his team now estimates potential energy savings for buildings, producing large volumes of data that can inform investment decisions.
Facility Management: The Efficiency Race Intensifies
Representing the operations side of the built environment, Boldizsár Zakariás, CTO and Head of Innovation at B+N Group, said that although the company has grown rapidly across nine countries with 30,000 employees, efficiency demands have grown just as quickly.
B+N has launched an internal idea-submission pilot programme, encouraging frontline staff to shape workplace improvements. “We receive extremely valuable input from our employees,” Zakariás said.
The company has developed its own cleaning robot, still supervised by human operators, and is actively training less formally educated staff to engage with innovation. One digitalisation project uses QR codes on doorframes to precisely measure task completion times, helping optimise staffing and workflows.