FOLLOW UP REPORT ON THE WORKSHOP “CONSTRUCTION 4.0”- ROMA, 26/01/2024

Below is a summary of the RESULTS of the RES2 project’s inaugural workshop.

The workshops of the RES2 project will form a PATH of progressive development, from the first to the last, of new solutions/ideas/innovations defined from the results produced by the previous workshops. Below you will find a summary of the first results that emerged from the inaugural Rome Workshop on January 26, 2024.

workshop edilizia 4.0

The opening workshop of the RES2 (Resilient system for the recognition of Energy Skills) project was held on January 26 at the Roma Innovation Hub. The event brought together a diverse group of more than 20 experts from public institutions, private companies, ETS and academic circles, with the aim of examining the challenges and opportunities in the Italian construction sector in relation to green and digital skills.

During the workshop, a detailed picture emerged of the critical issues plaguing the sector. Among the main ones were the political tendency to minimize costs, concentrating resources on a few excellences at the expense of innovation and diversification. In addition, a lack of institutional and territorial cooperation was found to hinder the sector’s ability to operate in a shared and innovative way.

Another issue identified concerns delays in the basic establishment of the construction sector, with a lack of well-defined and relevant professional figures, which fuels the underground economy and clientelism. What is more, current training pathways have a high socioeconomic entry threshold and low overall effectiveness.

In addition to this, problems such as reduced inclusiveness, decreased investment and service/product quality, lack of clear innovation goals and processes, and unattractive and unproductive work environments were noted.

Despite the complexity of the challenges facing the Italian construction industry in adapting to future needs and promoting sustainability, several perspectives and opportunities for effectively addressing these challenges emerged during the workshop.

The experts present then engaged in a constructive discussion to identify innovative and viable solutions. The diversity of vision of the stakeholders involved fostered an integrated approach in addressing the challenges that emerged, allowing the issues to be considered from multiple angles and leading to the identification of viable solutions that provide a solid and tangible basis for beginning to pursue much-needed change in the construction sector:

Policy direction of maximizing impact:

  • adopt public investment models based on effectiveness in achieving specific goals, not on efficiency and/or reduction of overall operational expenditure;
  • Create in cooperation with all relevant actors clear and precise roadmaps regarding transitions to new technologies and strategies;

Establishment/reform of participatory models:

  • Critically revisiting co-design and co-programming processes to clarify their practices and objectives;
  • Creation and implementation of training paths for public officials and private actors on cooperative processes;
  • Creation of new territorial bodies of public-private cooperation for the organization of various actors in the construction sector;
  • Creation of permanent interdisciplinary tables for the definition and management of skills, objectives and training paths;

Establishment and normalization of cooperative construction processes:

  • Territorial and end-user participation as early as the design and construction phase

Implementation of different training models:

  • Critical review of the Italian failure of Worksite School and school-to-work alternation models;
  • Integration of practical activities in cooperation with the territory;
  • Shifting focus to the development of transversal skills essential to employability;
  • Redefining skills certifications, integrating micro models better suited to sectoral needs;

Reducing the threshold for access to training:

  • Pay increase for trainees, tax breaks, service cost reductions, corporate incentives for training investment;
  • Family support: establishment of crèches and workshop activities for children/adolescents in training areas;
  • Logistical support: establishment of co-housing environments, improved public transportation.

The Rome workshop is just the first in a series of traveling appointments, in which we will engage experts in the field at the local level with the intention of gaining a deeper understanding of the specific challenges and opportunities present in different regions, to ensure that the proposed solutions truly respond to the needs and realities of each area.

The next meeting is in Forlimpopoli, February 21, 2024 at 2 p.m. REGISTER NOW

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