Construction is back on the agenda after two decades of declining markets. Environmental concerns, the building of European infrastructure networks, solving housing problems, reconstruction in Eastern Europe, and the return to more rapid economic development in many parts of the third world mean there is much to do and many markets to win. There is however a danger of failing to grasp these opportunities, and of allowing the markets in Europe and the quality of construction to decline. This report deals with the long-term strategies required to improve the construction sector's competitiveness amd quality, and to raise the level of construction output. It is intended to stimulate debate. There will not be universal agreement with the consultants' views of the future and the strategies pursued. The initiative for action should be expected to come from the firms and their representative in the sector, with support and legislation from national governments and from the Community where necessary.

The authors deserve credit for their collection and skillful processing of qualitative data from five European countries, which have enabled them to identify similarities and differences in the functioning of national construction industries. . . Innovation in Construction is an important contribution to increasing one s understanding of innovation in the construction industry. Ina Drejer, Building Research and Information This book deals with some of the most important questions in innovation research such as the role of corporate governance, national systems of innovation, and government regulation in the development and adoption of innovations. In particular, it presents new evidence on the factors which shape innovation in construction by drawing on extensive interviews with construction firms across Europe. The authors offer broad lessons for the systems of innovation approach and suggest that particular structures of ownership and management, and inter-organisational relations are responsible for variations in the economic performance of the construction industry in different European countries. The particular challenges posed by the adoption of sustainable technologies such as natural thermal insulation and active solar heating systems are also explored. These environmental innovations are expected to have an impact on sustainable building and regeneration, and at a more general level can help identify the factors which can facilitate or inhibit the innovation process. Importantly, the book does not simply focus on the relationship between technology, firm organisation and competitiveness, but also considers the social and institutional aspects which affect the construction sector s ability to innovate. The extensive case studies from 5 European countries allow the reader to analyse innovation performance from an international comparative perspective. Innovation in Construction represents an important contribution to the theoretical debate on innovation. It will be highly useful to scholars and students interested in innovation studies, environmental management, and construction management and economics.

This paper studies the factors behind pro-cyclical but widely varying construction shares (as a percent of GDP) across countries, with a strong focus on European countries. Using a dataset covering 48 countries (including advanced and emerging economies within and outside Europe) for 1990-2011, we find that country’s geography, demographics, and economic conditions are the key determinants of a norm around which actual construction shares revolve in a simple AR(1) and error-correction process. The empirical results show that in many European countries, construction shares overshoot relative to their norms before the recent global crisis, but they have fallen significantly since the crisis. Nevertheless, there is still room for further adjustment in construction shares in some countries which may weigh on economic recovery.

Spon's European Construction Costs Handbook is the only book of its kind - a unique compilation of cost data on the single most important construction market in the world. This updated edition expands its coverage of countries and once again gives details of select difficult-to-research markets in Eastern Europe as well as Western Europe, North and