Transforming the future of construction

ABB Robotics is driving automation in the construction industry with new robotic automation solutions to address key challenges including the need for more affordable and environmentally friendly buildings and to reduce the environmental impact of construction, amidst a worldwide labor and skills shortage. Robotic automation offers huge potential to enhance productivity, efficiency and manufacturing flexibility throughout the construction industry; in the fabrication of modular homes, robotic welding and material handling on building sites and 3D printing of houses and customized structures.

How we support transformation in the construction industry

  1. Enabling safer and sustainable construction

    Robotic automation can enable new methods of construction and reduce the environmental impact of the industry by improving quality and cutting waste. Yet in a recent survey ABB found only 55% of construction companies are using robots, compared with 84% in automotive and 79% in manufacturing. Our expertise in these industries can help the construction industry quickly break new ground with robotics and automation, speeding up 50 years of progress into 5 to 10 years.

  2. Addressing skills shortage and improving safety

    The industry labor shortage is a growing issue, with younger people put off construction careers by perceptions that it is a dangerous occupation. Robots can make construction safer by handling large and heavy loads, working in unsafe spaces and enabling new, safer methods of construction. Using robots for the repetitive and dangerous tasks that people increasingly don’t want to do means automation can help support the industry’s labor and skills crisis and make construction careers more appealing to young people.  

  3. Help construction become more eco-friendly

    With the industry facing increased environmental regulation and the need for more cost-effective buildings, robotic automation reduces waste by improving quality and consistency, which is significant when it’s estimated that up to a quarter of material transported to a building site leaves as waste. With automation and digital solutions, builders can also design waste out at the beginning of a project through effective building design and construction processes. 

How we help our customers

Robot-Wound Veneer: A Sustainable Building Material for the Future

Researchers at the University of Kassel, supported by ABB Robotics, have developed a sustainable construction method using ultra-thin wound wood veneers. The lightweight, load-bearing structures enable building modernizations and additional storeys with reduced environmental impact.

A building from a 3D printer: ABB robot supports construction of a local German Red Cross headquarters

The German Red Cross in Warendorf Beckum is setting a milestone with Germany’s first non-residential building constructed using 3D printing. Powered by an ABB IRB 6700 robot, the project showcases how advanced automation can deliver faster, more sustainable construction while meeting community needs.

Mixing it up with 3D printing

French company XtreeE is pioneering industrialized 3D printing solutions that empower construction firms to create complex, design-led building components. Using ABB six-axis robots and RobotStudio® software, XtreeE delivers on-demand flexibility, sustainability, and mass customization at a competitive cost.

Skanska rewrites the rules of rebar tying

Sweden’s Skanska, a global leader in large-scale construction, brings extensive expertise in delivering complex projects from tunnels to airports. As cities and transport systems seek more sustainable, efficient, and resource-conscious solutions, Skanska is at the forefront of building infrastructure that meets these evolving priorities.

The art of construction

IndexLab, founded in 2010 at Politecnico di Milano, is redefining construction by blending art with advanced building methods. Through experimental design and innovative processes, it creates bold, sustainable, and aesthetically striking structures.

Our solutions in action