My chairmanship in the board of Rakennusteollisuus RT began in a period when construction was facing its third crisis in the short term. Strong inflation, non-existent economic growth and rising interest rates took the bottom out of construction projects unprecedentedly quickly and widely. During my two-year presidency, construction, which previously drove growth, has become a slowdown in economic growth. You could ask Ilmo a question, how did it go as I thought it would?
Despite the squatting of the construction industry, I dare to give my presidency a rating of satisfactory + or even good -, because we got a lot of good things done and moving forward. At the beginning of 2023, together with the new board, we were able to implement RT's fresh strategy in practice. Under my leadership, a list of the ten most important issues was selected, for which we set goals and metrics. Things were actively promoted and the positive effects can be seen both in RT's field of activity and in the wider construction industry.
One of the most important things on the list has been influence. Construction is heavily regulated, and it has a significant impact on society, the economy, and the environment. The perspective as chairman and the work we do together have broadened my view of influence and its importance to the construction industry. Influence work helps shape the operating environment with legislation, promotes responsible practices in construction, and ensures the sustainable development of the industry. One concrete example is the fact that the government program has taken into account our message about lightening regulation and bureaucracy as well as long-term traffic investments and sufficient housing production in the coming years.
I also consider the recent responsibility program for the construction industry to be significant, which gives industry operators guidelines for responsibility work while helping to identify development targets and necessary measures. Low-carbon and biodiversity-respecting construction, circular economy, transparency of value chains and well-being of diverse personnel are key to the development of the industry. The real estate and construction industry is a large industry that also has a big responsibility for sustainable development. Working together, we will bring about the necessary changes in the area of responsibility as well.
All in all, the trip has been rewarding measured by several different metrics. Looking at the transom like this, I can say that a surprising amount has happened and been achieved. I thank everyone for their wonderful work and wish success to the new chairman Mikko Vasama. Hopefully, the faintly green predictions about the growth of the economy and construction for next year will come true and construction will pick up speed again in the next few years.
I send special thanks to the entire RT organization: everyone working in the organization has strong professionalism and a deep understanding, whether it's about working with stakeholders, influence, construction legislation, occupational safety or economic trends in the industry. Everything that we have presented in the board and agreed upon together has been carried forward and things have been completed. Thank you also CEO Aleksi Randellto you and the board members for the excellent cooperation - it's good to continue building a sustainable future!
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