Research, development and innovations (TKI)

The construction industry has committed, together with other industries, to increase Finland's RDI investment to four percent of gross domestic product by 2030, in accordance with the recommendation of the parliamentary RDI working group*. Investing in research, development and innovation is an investment in the future that creates new expertise, strengthens the productivity and competitiveness of the construction sector, and supports sustainable growth and renewal.

RDI activities generate benefits at both the business and societal levels: they support economic growth, strengthen competitiveness, increase expertise, help solve societal challenges, and create the conditions for the development and implementation of new solutions.

Our goal

Double the current RDI investments in the construction sector by 2040.
Increase the share of public funding to a third of all RDI investments in the sector
Increase resources in RDI and competence areas critical to the construction industry, including:
- Digitalization of the built environment, artificial intelligence and data economy
- Productivity, quality and industrial operating models in the construction industry
- Low-carbon and environmentally friendly construction, circular economy and material technologies
- Structures, materials, construction and maintenance adapted to weather conditions caused by climate change
- Renovation construction, development of the existing building stock and energy efficiency
- Development of urban, regional and transport systems
- Infrastructure construction and perspectives on security of supply and overall safety
Promote research and innovation ecosystems where companies, universities, research institutions and the public sector develop solutions together.
Develop mechanisms for public RDI funding so that public funding can also be utilized for the development of domestic market-driven sectors.

RDI helps solve key challenges in the construction industry and society

Key future challenges in the construction industry include increasing productivity, the availability of a skilled workforce, low-carbon built environments, climate change, declining public funding and strengthening the overall safety of society. The leap in productivity, quality and responsibility in the construction industry will arise from a combination of new technologies, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, industrial operating models, low-carbon solutions, new materials and the circular economy. RDI activities will accelerate the development, piloting and implementation of these solutions across the industry.

RDI creates expertise and renews the industry

Research, development and innovation activities are also about developing skills. RDI projects create opportunities for companies to learn new ways of working, develop staff skills and attract new experts to the sector. The competitiveness of the construction sector will be based increasingly on the ability to combine practical construction expertise, research knowledge, built environment data and new digital technologies. Common information models, data utilisation and artificial intelligence create the basis for the next phase of development in the sector.

RDI creates growth and international competitiveness

In addition to solving significant national challenges, RDI investments in the construction sector create new products, services, technologies and operating models that enable Finnish companies to grow in international markets. Finnish expertise has significant potential, especially in the export of digitalization, built environment data solutions, low-carbon construction, the circular economy and industrial operating models.

The impact of RDI activities only arises when research results, new technologies and innovative operating models are widely adopted throughout the value chain of the built environment. Responsibility for RDI investments lies with both the private and public sectors. Research, development and innovation activities create new expertise for the construction industry, accelerate the adoption of new technologies and artificial intelligence, and improve the productivity, competitiveness and sustainability of the industry.

*Report of the Parliamentary R&D Group