The three words we might use to sum up this edition of Construmat would be recovery, innovation and zeal. After eight years during which the sector has suffered the effects of the economic crisis, the increase in the size and number of exhibitors at the show is the result, and also the cause, of a much more expectant market that is excited about new products and the current economic outlook, along with the hard work of the team behind it.
With this edition, Construmat has positioned itself as a window to the future, to the end client upon which all actions are focused. Materials and systems are progressively introduced as instruments to offer people satisfaction, convenience and wellbeing. The lines of action arising from this reformulation of the value chain not only strengthen customer demands and needs but also empower the capabilities of professionals in our sector, foster innovation, collaboration and imagination and, ultimately, improve quality.
However, I don’t believe this is the only evolving trend at the show. If innovation is a condition and architecture is the path, then urban renovation is the collective goal. Energy efficiency, access to housing, the circular economy and energy transition inevitably entail urban renewal. In this respect, Construmat, in its capacity as the leading trade show for the construction world, needs to align itself with this strategic model, putting a priority on urban renewal as the main mission of the sector in the coming years.
Urban renewal not only consists of maintaining our buildings properly, most of which do not comply with current regulatory requirements, but is based on the necessity to respond to the new needs of society through the implementation of new technologies.
I am convinced that Construmat is in a position to compete globally if it is capable of taking advantage of its considerable local attributes. Barcelona is renowned worldwide; not least for the sum of its capacity for urban transformation and its architecture, which is the instrument that makes it possible. As an objective, Construmat can strengthen the image of Barcelona and spearhead the promotion of urban and residential transformation at a regional, state and international level.
Lluís Comerón. Degano del COAC. Col.legi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya