The construction industry is in the middle of a digital revolution. The State of Digital Adoption in the Construction Industry 2025 report from Autodesk and Deloitte shows there is a strong correlation between technology adoption and business success.
Companies across the APAC region are increasingly embracing a range of digital tools, from core enabling technologies like construction management software and mobile apps, to more advanced solutions like data analytics and Building Information Modelling (BIM).
This shift towards digitisation is delivering important tangible business results. The report found that adopting just one more technology can add $USD1.14 million in revenue for a business with over USD $100 million in revenue. What’s more, construction leaders who were surveyed said that their saving an average of 10.5 hours per week by implementing more uniform data environments. This time saving translates to increased productivity and reduced time spent on administrative tasks for their teams.
The top 10 technologies driving strong business returns and a positive ROI across countries like Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore include:
Almost all construction and engineering businesses that introduced technologies like these found that they delivered benefits to their bottom lines and the outcomes of their projects.
For example, businesses with higher digital maturity are 50% more likely to report a reduction in safety incidents, a critical concern in an industry with inherent risks that employs such a large cross-section of Asian society. The use of technology significantly improves project delivery, with each additional technology adopted increasing the likelihood of completing a project on time and under budget.
We’re also seeing the emergence of AI starting to ramp up in the construction industry across APAC. AI-powered tools are now in use by almost two out of five businesses in our industry, with an additional 37% planning to adopt them in the near future.
AI is being deployed in various applications, including for predictive maintenance where AI algorithms can analyse data from sensors and other sources to predict equipment failures before they happen, risk management where AI helps identify and assess potential risks on construction projects before building starts, and project scheduling and optimisation where AI can review and optimise project schedules, taking into account factors like resource availability, weather conditions, and construction delays.
Another positive outcome of digital adoption we’re seeing right across the region is the increasing participation of women in the construction industry. The report found that businesses with higher proportions of female workers tend to have higher rates of technology adoption. This suggests that promoting diversity and inclusion can contribute to digital transformation and innovation in the industry.
Digital adoption and new technologies are reshaping the construction industry across Asia-Pacific faster than we’ve ever seen. As economies emerge from the sluggish economic conditions of the post-pandemic years, these tools can help accelerate the growth of the industry and support the development of everyone working in it.
To find out more about the state of the construction industry in your country and across APAC, click here to download the full report.
