Osés Construction participates in the execution of several of the main projects in Navarra, both civil works and building. It maintains its traditional collaboration with local entities, contributing to numerous smaller projects, in addition to supporting many private initiatives in the materialization of their investments, whether for the implementation, expansion or renovation of facilities or to dare with unique residential building proposals.
As a leading company in the sector, the corporate director of Osés Construcción, Naomi Osésreflects on the current situation of this important pillar of the economy, its impact and the future it envisions.
How would you describe the current situation of the construction sector in Navarra?
I think it is in good health, both in civil works and in construction. We have seen sustained growth in recent years, due to public infrastructure projects, private initiatives and the demand for housing, although we detected a lack of industrial and building land in the Pamplona Region. The main challenges are the shortage of qualified labor and the increase in costs in materials and labor. With these challenges and the adoption of new technologies, project planning and execution is being transformed, advancing industrialized construction, especially in building. Also, there is an emphasis on sustainability and the use of materials and techniques that reduce environmental impact, including energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy. Likewise, interest is growing in the rehabilitation and renovation of existing buildings and infrastructure.
What are the main technological innovations that are transforming the sector?
The main transformation of the sector is its industrialization, which is supported by technologies such as modular construction, artificial intelligence, even 3D printing or augmented and virtual reality; and mainly in the BIM methodology, which is not only a technological innovation, but a paradigm shift in the way projects are undertaken and in the relationship between the different agents involved in the life cycle of a building or infrastructure.
What is the impact of automation and robotics on construction processes?
An increase in productivity, improved precision and quality, reduced safety risks and greater efficiency in waste management, as well as innovation in construction techniques are expected. Navarra wants to be at the forefront, and the work in this area of the Industrialisation Cluster of Construction – ICONS, or the effort of the Government of Navarra to achieve the upcoming arrival of the National Centre for Industrialisation and Robotics in Construction – BAI, are worth highlighting.
In which areas do you see the most potential for the implementation of these technologies?
They certainly fit in immediately with modular construction and prefabrication, but they also appear in surveying work, in earthmoving machinery, and in the inspection and maintenance of buildings or structures via drones and robots. From a management perspective, they will optimize project planning and execution, including material logistics and team coordination, energy and resource use.
What are the main obstacles that local businesses are encountering?
Obstacles, which do exist, can be overcome with regulatory adaptation, with support for investment, with education to overcome resistance or to qualify personnel, and with collaboration between agents. Construction companies have the capacity to connect the concerns or needs of the developer with the reality of the market; to collaborate in the optimization of solutions, from the point of view of quality, deadline, sustainability and financing of the work.
How is the construction sector integrating the principles of the circular economy? Any example of good practice?
The construction sector has always tried to reuse and recycle materials, and minimize waste. In a broad sense, the focus is increasingly placed on the use of sustainable materials. Compensation of excavation and fill volumes is a basic principle of any earthworks project; Alternatively, surplus land can be perfectly utilized in authorized landfill operations (other agricultural works or developments), or in the restoration of degraded spaces. The recovery of stone waste from demolition (concrete and others) by crushing, either in a fixed plant or by means of a mobile plant “on site”, makes it possible to obtain recycled aggregate suitable for use in fills, or even in the manufacture of concrete. The milling of existing bituminous mixtures in road surfaces (for renovation or reinforcement) allows their direct recovery as recycled aggregate suitable for filling or for reintroduction in the manufacture of new mixtures; The Government of Navarra is considering this good practice in its road projects.
How are new rules and regulations, both local and European, affecting you?
Although we can talk about regulations regarding safety, energy efficiency or construction procedures, the most significant impact on projects is the new rules and regulations, mainly European, regarding sustainability. Construction is an “eligible” activity, that is, relevant in terms of sustainability. We began to work on life cycle analysis or the determination of the carbon footprint of projects, the comparison of solutions based on the EPDs of materials and references in increasingly extensive databases, and responsible sourcing.
Given the lack of qualified workforce, what types of training and professional development programs are proving most effective in preparing workers for the current challenges in the sector?
From a training point of view, the Construction Labor Foundation is the reference in the sector; He accumulates a lot of experience in different programs, and in particular his Dual FP degrees are worth highlighting. Osés Construction is very attentive to its approaches, and has many expectations with the new degree for managers. In the company, we have an intense effort to attract and retain talent, with a combination of work on reputation and total compensation formulas for the workforce, considering remuneration, training, development, conciliation and flexibility. But it is important that we are able to position construction as an attractive, professional, innovative sector, and attract profiles other than the classic ones, younger and trained for industrialization, or try to feminize positions in which until now the presence was unimaginable. of women.
What expectations do you have about the economic evolution of the sector in the next five to ten years?
We believe that sustained growth will continue during this period, with the aforementioned drivers and challenges. It is foreseeable that there will be fluctuations in material costs and that at a given moment there will be political or economic cycle changes, but our hope is that the sector will be more resilient and will not suffer crises as severe as in other times.