Construction industry faces labor shortages and AI digital shifts

The construction industry in Germany and Switzerland is facing significant structural shifts driven by labor shortages and rapid digital transformation.

A survey by BauInfoConsult of 125 German construction companies reveals that 96 percent of firms are experiencing personnel shortages among their project partners, with 41 percent reporting significant or extreme constraints. Affected trades include masons, carpenters, joiners, and concrete workers, as well as electricians and plumbers. To maintain productivity, companies are increasingly turning to automation, robotics, prefabrication, and digital planning.

Simultaneously, the method of sourcing technical products is shifting from traditional search engines to AI assistants like ChatGPT and Gemini. In Switzerland, AI service usage has doubled since 2024, reaching 80 percent of the population. This shift poses a risk to manufacturers whose data is not machine-readable; if product information is not optimized for AI, these systems may recommend competitors or provide inaccurate details through hallucinations. The smartconext Group has introduced new solutions to help companies make their data AI-ready to prevent loss of visibility in the digital market.