flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Engineering and construction CEOs are cautiously optimistic about the global economy, says PwC

Engineering and construction CEOs are cautiously optimistic about the global economy, says PwC

Firm leaders remain leery about the availability of skilled workers, the state of government debt and deficits, and rising material prices, according to PwC’s 2014 Global CEO Survey.


By BD+C Staff | March 3, 2014
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Engineering and construction CEOs are more optimistic this year than in previous years, according to PwC’s 2014 Global CEO Survey. Forty-one percent of respondents expect to grow over the next 12 months, up from 31% last year.

This and other big-picture facts are available in the survey, which provides multiple “snapshots” of the engineering and construction sectors, including growth markets, government impact on the industry, transformative global trends, and concerns about sustainability and climate trends.

Here are some of the snapshots we found the most interesting (read the full report):

  • 50% of CEOs in the engineering and construction sector believe the global economy will improve over the next 12 months; 9% believe it will decline
  • 78% of sector CEOs are concerned about how governments will respond to deficit and debt in the next year—this is the concern that the highest number of engineering and construction CEOs reported worrying about
  • 76% of sector CEOs are worried about high and volatile raw material prices
  • Concerns about infrastructure gaps are a consistent concern—47% of sector CEOs reported concerns that inadequacy of infrastructure could hurt growth, 50% think that infrastructure think it should be one of their government’s top 3 priorities, and 41% feel that the government is ineffective (as opposed to 33% who believe that the government is effective)
  • The U.S. topped the list of growth markets, and the Middle East ranked much higher as growth markets for engineering and construction CEOs than for other sectors
  • Cost reduction heads the list of restructuring activities
  • 69% of sector CEOs believe that technological advances such as the digital economy, Big Data, and social media will be the biggest transformative trend for their businesses in the next year
  • E&C CEOs are significantly more worried about the availability of key skills in their workforces than are other industries.
  • 89% of E&C CEOs say it’s important for their company to try and reduce their environmental footprint.
  • 59% of E&C CEOs believe that resource scarcity and climate change will transform their business 

For more, read the full report.

Related Stories

| Apr 23, 2012

Construction underway on City Winery Chicago

The Building Team is maintaining the old brick and timber construction, while adding 5,000-sf of new construction in the form of a two-story addition within the site’s existing courtyard.

| Apr 20, 2012

McCarthy completes Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Replacement Facility

The new hospital’s architectural design combines traditional Santa Barbara Spanish colonial architecture with 21st century medical conveniences highlighted by a therapeutic and sustainable atmosphere.

| Apr 20, 2012

Century-old courthouse renovated for Delaware law firm offices

To account for future expansion, Francis Cauffman developed a plan to accommodate the addition of an 8-story tower to the building.

| Apr 20, 2012

RCMA and Oak Ridge National Laboratory to host International Roof Coatings Conference

The International Roof Coatings Conference will feature keynote speakers Marc LaFrance of the U.S. Department of Energy, and Art Rosenfeld of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

| Apr 20, 2012

Shawmut completes Yard House Restaurant in Boston

12,000-sf restaurant marks new addition to Boston’s Fenway neighborhood.

| Apr 20, 2012

Registration open for Solar Power International 2012 in Orlando

President Bill Clinton to deliver keynote address at ?largest solar energy event in the Americas.

| Apr 19, 2012

The 10 mistakes most likely to get you sued

The California Chamber of Commerce has produced a white paper cataloging the top 10 mistakes most likely to get a company sued. While a few of the laws cited apply specifically to California, some of them are federal and may apply in your state.

| Apr 19, 2012

Holcim cement plants recognized at PCA Spring Meeting

The Holly Hill plant received the PCA’s Chairman’s Safety Performance Award in recognition of their exceptional health and safety programs. The Theodore plant received the Environmental Performance Award in recognition of the steps they take beyond those required by laws, regulations and permits to minimize their impact on the environment.

| Apr 19, 2012

KTGY Group’s Arista Uptown Apartments in Broomfield, Colo. completed

First of eight buildings highlights unique amenities.

| Apr 19, 2012

Nauset begins work on $20M Joint Forces HQ at Hanscom AFB

3D imaging key to project timetable and cost containment.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




Resiliency

U.S. is reducing floodplain development in most areas

The perception that the U.S. has not been able to curb development in flood-prone areas is mostly inaccurate, according to new research from climate adaptation experts. A national survey of floodplain development between 2001 and 2019 found that fewer structures were built in floodplains than might be expected if cities were building at random.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021