ABB Robotics and Porsche Consulting collaborate on construction automation

The partnership aims to address the need for more affordable, sustainable buildings and reduce the environmental impact of construction amidst labour and skills shortages.

“We think there is a clear opportunity to transform this sector and the way homes are built by automating the process of manufacturing modular components,” Marc Segura, president of the ABB Robotics Division, said in a statement. “Greater, more intelligent automation is the answer to widespread labour shortages and this collaboration will boost productivity, allow greater customisation and enable more sustainable and efficient construction practices.”

According to ABB Robotics, construction-related occupations typically dominate the list of labour shortages. In the United States, labour shortages are contributing to a housing shortfall of nearly four million homes, while Germany is forecast to have housing supply shortages in 35 of its cities by 2030.

The traditional construction sector is struggling to meet the demand for new homes, while the environmental performance and efficiency of buildings needs to improve, along with the adoption of more sustainable construction methods. These include reducing the transportation of raw materials to construction sites and eliminating the corresponding costs and impact of removing unwanted materials and waste. This is estimated to account for up to 25 per cent of the material transported to a building site.