Author: Peggy Smedley
President Donald Trump is rolling out tariffs, which at the time of this writing continues to evolve, and there are a lot of mixed feelings about it. Rather than focusing on politics, for today’s blog I want to focus on the opportunities and the technologies. It is time to pave a path forward. Let’s use the tools at our disposal to gain a competitive advantage in today’s supply chain. First a primer: In a release from the White House at the beginning of February, we see President Trump is implementing a 25% additional tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico…
Data Centers Sustainability Workforce Technology In 2025, will construction be up? Will it be down? What will be some of the top trends that take hold? Which markets will soar? And how does technology fit into all of this? These are just a few of the most pressing questions on the minds of today’s construction executives. Fortunately, we can get a handle on some answers in FMI’s 2025 North American Engineering and Construction Overview: First Quarter. One big takeaway is while there is an assumed recession for the broader U.S. economy in 2025, FMI predicts construction and engineering spending will…
Natural disasters such as wildfires continue to damage property, requiring restoration and rebuilding of towns around the world. Candidly most of us can’t truly imagine the devastation of a natural disaster, let alone any type of devastation from a disaster, unless we are faced with it. So, for today’s discussion, let’s consider how technology might help in times of need following the emergency crises and response of a disaster. Consider the Palisades Fire, which began January 7, 2025, and burned most of the month. While field damage inspection is still ongoing and subject to change as of this writing, we…
Construction equipment continues to evolve, with the rise of autonomous, electric, AI (artificial intelligence), GPS, telematics, the IoT (Internet of Things), and other vehicle technologies. For today’s blog, let’s look at three big construction fleet trends to watch in the days ahead. Autonomous Construction Equipment Perhaps one of the biggest trends the industry continues to watch is the rise of autonomous equipment in construction. This is a trend I have been watching, as I have attended many conferences in the past. Autonomous is certainly something to keep in mind, as we build more infrastructure and cities of the future. Grandview…
Earlier this year, at CES 2025, we saw a bevy of innovative technologies aimed at making the transportation industry more productive, safer, and more energy efficient. For today’s blog, it’s time to zoom in on three significant movements underway that will impact transportation in 2025 and beyond. The race is on in the transportation industry because of slimmer margins, greater demands from shippers and regulators, security, and what seems to be the same discussion in every industry, a worker shortage, just to name a few. But, perhaps, one of the biggest changes is the quick rise of gen AI in…
The worker shortage is something I have been covering here at Constructech for several years, okay perhaps more than just a few years now, as it has been an ongoing struggle for construction companies in just about every state. Now, we see ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors) has released estimates for how many new workers will be needed between 2025 and 2026 just to meet anticipated demand for construction services. And let us be very clear, this was long before all the devastating fires in Los Angeles and the hurricanes in the Carolinas. The numbers aren’t surprising to those following…
“The car, the truck, the boat … vehicles are now defined as much by their digital as their physical content and that is being driven even faster now by advancements in AI,” says John Reed, global solutions leader, manufacturing and mobility industries, Microsoft. The data supports what Reeds says and tells an immensely powerful story. Gen AI (artificial intelligence)-based ecommerce and fulfilment optimization will enhance last-mile profitability by 15% and operating costs by 5%. At the same time, shop-floor productivity can be improved by 20% through use of gen AI-based assistance, recommendation, and autonomous systems. Overall, gen AI can help…
Infrastructure is evolving and in the next several weeks, the construction industry will want to keep a close eye on the latest trends that will impact the building infrastructure. Last week was WOC (World of Concrete) and there was no shortage of announcements aimed at the infrastructure space. With the flurry of news coming from the show floor, it certainly makes sense to look at well, concrete. The material itself continues to advance in many ways to address decarbonization. As outlined in the World Cement Assn., most recent whitepaper, global demand for cement and clinker is projected to decline sharply…
Here at Connected World, we have been covering quantum computing for several years—and it looks like we are going to get an infusion of new opportunities in the year ahead. Let’s take a look at what lies ahead in 2025 and beyond for quantum computing. What Is Quantum? At its core, quantum computing uses quantum mechanics to solve computer problems. Simply, it enables computers to do their work faster. With the rise of gen AI (artificial intelligence), Quantum systems can help us tackle real-world problems in multiple areas such as navigation, supply chain, industrial manufacturing, healthcare, and more. Where Have…
Are Fortune 500 companies prepared for a cyberattack? A recent report suggests 72% of Fortune 500 construction and engineering companies scored a D or lower for their cybersecurity. I am making a bold prediction: 2025 will be the year we see cybersecurity ramp up even further in organizations around the world. Candidly, we have been seeing cyber hacks across many big organizations, and it is time we do something about it. What’s the Cyber Grade? When you peel back the onion of this recent report, it is very tasty, so to speak. Cybernews Business Digital Index analyzed 466 companies on…