Comment: Disruption, digitalisation & new business models

In the second of two articles on disruption in the construction equipment sector, we look at how factors including short term ownership, features-as-a-service and a more direct relationship with manufacturers are taking the traditional construction equipment industry into a state of rapid change.

Alongside agriculture, construction is among the most established capital equipment sectors of the economy. Not only is it established it is also stable, enjoying – despite its habitual cyclical nature of boom and bust – relatively consistent long-term growth over the last 25 years.

In fact, the entire construction sector now contributes some 13% of global GDP – so when construction finds itself entering a phase of tremendous change, the world has to pay attention.