DISCUS PROJECT

Digital Transformation in the Construction Sector:
challenges and opportunities

A European Union co-funded research project (VS/2019/0078)

DISCUS aims to analyse Digital transformations in the Construction Sector,
to strengthen the role and contribution of innovative industrial relations structures, including social dialogue.

What

The DISCUS project (Digital Transformation in the construction sector: challenges and opportunities) aims to analyse and to strengthen the role and contribution of innovative industrial relations structures, including social dialogue, in responding to the major challenges and opportunities brought by digitalisation and technological changes in the construction sector to guarantee better environmental and social conditions for the workers and citizens of the European Union.

Why

Construction is one of the biggest industrial sectors of the EU economy

9% of EU GDP
Around 18 million workers
Multiplying effect of the demand for building
40% of EU energy consumption
36% of total green-gas emissions
233 million residential and commercial buildings
Circular economy

Over the last few years the construction sector has been revolutionized by important drivers of change that are simultaneously at play:

The transition to a sustainable construction in a low carbon economy.
The evolution of technologies and digitalisation that has an impact on all the construction processes.

Digitalization and technological change, and their combining with social and environmental issues, are major challenges for industrial relations and social dialogue in Europe.

Digitalization permeates every aspect of the construction sector.

The topic of digitalisation and technological innovation has been analysed in the manufacture sector in several studies but there is a lack of in-depth analysis and data collection for the construction sector especially as regards the role of industrial relations.

How

Research at national level and at European level related to:

the transformations taking place in production cycles oriented towards digitalization and technological innovation in the construction sector and their impact on the labour market, work organisation and working conditions, sectoral level, territorial level and proper transition;

the role of industrial relations and social dialogue for digitalisation and technological innovation to identify the most relevant practices and experiences at all levels: European, national, sectoral, regional levels well as at company level.

The desk research for the preliminary report and the national reports are based on the consultation of documentary sources and an analysis of secondary data.

A qualitative survey at national level will be carried out to identify the most relevant practices and experiences of industrial relations at all levels: European, national and local, as well as at company level (Interviews & Case studies).

Workshops at national and European level and a Final European Conference will enable the exchange of knowledge, a comparison between different experiences in the partners’ countries of the project and mutual learning.

Where

The Discus project will cover six EU Countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, with different industrial relation systems in order to assure an international comparison as a key aspect of the project.

Who

The Discus project has been promoted by Fondazione Giuseppe Di Vittorio (Italy).

All the research partners are internationally recognised as players with knowledge of the industrial relations community.

Most of them are closely linked to trade union organisations in their respective countries as well as at EU level. Partners of the DISCUS action have solid experience with EU projects.