Global Mega-Trends and Construction: Managing Strategy and Technology in a Changing World

The world is changing at an ever-increasing rate. This coming decade is set to see some of the most significant and fundamental economic, demographic, and technological change ever witnessed. As these events unfold, what will their impact be on the global construction industry? Covering everything from the future of the commodities supercycle, through the impending entry of the Millennial generation to the workforce, to the rising hegemony of the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) economies, this session will identify the major external trends which will significantly shape the construction sector over this decade—drawing and coloring a "risk/opportunity view" of these macro-challenges, identifying how construction business models and practices are likely to change, and posing the question, "How might technology be a component of that response?"