The data from Glenigan goes on to reveal that the UK construction sector growth is anticipated to see a growth of 21% in the next two years.

As per its UK Construction Industry Autumn Forecast 2026-2027 report, the construction analyst opines that it forecasts the private housebuilding to stay on course to progress quite significantly. It also foresees certain commercial office projects continuing their rise.

The economic unit of Glenigan forecasts a 13% boost in terms of activity and suggests that the sector is going to be relieved at the limited negative effect of trade wars and international conflict, as well as policy speculation on construction.

It adds the sector is surely going to be in a good position to start the activity following the forthcoming Autumn Budget.

Allan Wilen, the Glenigan economic director, said that as would happen with any forecasts, it is quite challenging to foresee any unpredicted and spontaneous political as well as economic issues till the time they suddenly land, mostly completely altering the situation.

The will-they-or-won’t-they attitude that the professional as well as consumer landscape has taken towards the trailer government policy has gone on to do nothing so as to inspire confidence in the latter half of 2025.

This has cropped up due to the dramatic performance decreases they have seen all across their own indexes ever since the summer, therefore dashing any hopes in terms of recovery by the end of 2025.

He adds that, however, the chancellor has got a real opportunity in this budget to go ahead and rebalance this situation and also make sure that the beginning of 2026 is not the false start they went on to witness in the spring of 2025.

Glenigan opines that it foresees growth when it comes to both private as well as public sector project starts, with residential construction getting back to its positive numbers post a blip in the summer and also autumn.

As per the report, when it comes to the public space, the government is going to be hoping to kickstart many capital projects, specifically in terms of renewables, and at the same time deliver on the social housing commitments and also promised increases when it comes to funding for health as well as education.  With a more broadened view, a renewed commitment so as to deliver net zero throughout the state-owned assets by 2050 is going to present enough opportunity for the contractors and, along with them, the subcontractors too in order to seize on.

The report adds that when the building safety regulator goes on to reduce its well-documented backlog, it goes on to warn that the bricks-and-mortar retail is going to be slower to recover since the operators go on to face rising cost pressures from the national insurance increase as well as growth in the minimum wage.

The report further opines that looking towards the public space, the overall construction industry is sure going to be waiting with bated breath to witness what the chancellor is going to pull out of the hat when one talks of the Autumn Budget.

After what looks like a series of false starts, everyone is going to be looking for clarity, especially in areas like health as well as education.

Although the Labour government has gone on to grow the capital funding for the school rebuilding program and further education in the 2025-26 period, it notes, the previous uncertainty looks like it has disrupted the local authorities’ plan of development, therefore leading to a dip in the value of school as well as college project starts in 2025.

Glenigan forecasts that a clearer funding pipeline is going to boost activity throughout the construction sector in 2026 as well as 2027, with some robust growth forecast when it comes to further education since the government goes on to prioritize vocational training.

It is worth noting that a progressive rise when it comes to the water industry activity is expected to lift the utility starts throughout the 2026 and 2027 season, as the AMP8 investment program goes on to gather more momentum.

Wilen remarked that there are certain very encouraging indications already throughout different verticals, and it is going to be up to the sector to take advantage of them.

When it comes to some of the cases, that might as well mean diversifying to go ahead and meet more niche demands surrounding low-carbon construction and also commercial fit-out and even different building approaches for that matter.

He adds that while they happen to be experiencing short-term struggles, they are still confident of a long-term picture that looks bright.

Building the Backbone: Energy & AI Infrastructure

Trump further indicated the importance energy plays in supporting AI; “Remaining the world’s leader in AI will require an enormous increase in energy production,” and called for a “massive build‑out of physical infrastructure” throughout Pennsylvania. Trump’s $92 billion energy‑AI plan will pour investments into data centers, gas power plants, and retrofitting coal facilities. The scale of building activity will be immense—ranging from pipelines and grid upgrades to heavy‑engineering activities at former coal locations.

Surge in Construction Jobs

Along with expanding infrastructure comes an increase in construction- and energy-industry employment. While Trump did not include the job figure during his remarks, summit organizer Sen. Dave McCormick stated the investments in the private sector “will create tens of thousands of jobs and position Pennsylvania as a leading hub for energy, artificial intelligence, and innovation.” Those roles are expected to span trades such as electricians, steelworkers, heavy‑equipment operators, and AI‑system installers fueling local hiring across rural and urban communities.

Tech-Enhanced Construction

One of the most prominent pillars of US energy AI plan is co-locating power plants right next to data centres. As Trump put it: “You’re going to build your own electric factory, and you’re gonna make your own electricity,” Trump said. “You can sell it back into the grid, you’ll even make money from the electric business.” signalling demand for integrated energy-construction projects. This approach allows construction firms to reconcile traditional build and install capabilities with AI-enabled energy management systems and smart-grid applications.

Long-Term Implications for the Industry

For construction companies, the announcement opens up opportunities for federal-backed mega-projects, advanced procurement strategies, and perhaps even tax incentives for their implementation of AI. Industry insiders expect increased demand for cement, steel, and prefab material- along with increases in R&D funding for construction technology.

Industry associations like the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) are paying close attention. If enacted after the election, they envision not only near-term contract gains, but a structural transformation towards smart, resilient infrastructure across the country.

While the political dust settles, one thing’s certain: Pennsylvania’s construction world is poised on the cusp of change. Whether the plan comes to fruition in full or not, US energy AI plan promise has already set infrastructure — and those who construct it — at the center of America’s economic future.

The buildings would span from the Red Sea shoreline into the desert, housing a mix of residential, retail, and commercial space. The design is a refinement of last year’s proposal to link a series of projects through a subterranean hyper-speed railway into a long continuous structure.

Designers were given a half-mile-long prototype to work on. If built in its entirety, each tower would be larger than the world’s current tallest structures, the majority of which are plants or shopping malls instead of residential neighbourhoods.

Neom is Prince Mohammed’s idea to transform a rural section of the country into a high-tech semi-autonomous state that reinterprets urban life. It was disclosed in 2017. It’s part of his strategy to entice foreign investment and aid in diversifying Saudi Arabia’s economy away from oil sales. According to the prince, the construction of The Line, a car-free linear city that will form the core of Neom, might cost up to $200 billion.

According to Al-Nasr, Neom’s chief executive officer, the structures would be of varying heights as they proceeded, adjusting to the terrain, with their final size determined by engineering concerns and the topography.

According to the company, this would be the world’s largest integrated renewable energy storage project once it becomes operational.
This project will be built with an investment of $3bn and expected to be commissioned by 2023.

It will comprise pumped storage capacity of 10,800MWh per day, 3GW of solar capacity and 550MW capacity of wind power.
This project is part of Greenko’s plans to build an intelligent ‘Energy Cloud Storage Platform’ with 50GWh daily storage capacity by 2025 and 100GWh by 2027.

Foundation stone for the project was laid by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Greenko Group founder, CEO and MD Anil Chalamalasetty said: “It’s a moment of great pride for Greenko that we have pioneered to deliver, ahead of global ambition of a 24/7 dispatchable renewable energy solution, for industrial decarbonization and energy transition.”
The company contributes 10% of clean energy and 1.5% of total clean energy in India with a total capacity of 7.5GW through wind, solar and hydro power.
Greenko has raised $750m of green bonds to finance the debt of the project.

The project is slated to help avoid 15 million tonnes of CO2 annually, which is equivalent to reducing emissions from three million cars.
The Kurnool project is the first of the four energy storage projects that the company is planning to build. The other projects are being planned to be built in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan with a total investment $5bn by 2025.

Estimated to cost $327.56m, the project is intended to improve traffic on a 5.1-mile stretch of US 70 from east of Thurman Road to the Neuse River Bridge in James City in Craven County.

Under the terms of the contract, Balfour Beatty will upgrade the section of US 70, which is one of the primary east-west corridors across eastern North Carolina, to interstate standards.

In addition to improving access to local community services, the project is expected to enhance economic development in the area.

According to NCDOT, US 70 provides an important connection between the port at Morehead City, military bases in Havelock and Goldsboro and the Global TransPark in Kinston.

Balfour Beatty US civil construction operations vice president and southeast region manager Mark Johnnie said: “Our southeast region team’s design-build expertise and unique ability to self-perform both the structures and roadway scope make this U.S. 70 improvement project a strategic fit.

“We’re honored to once again serve as NCDOT’s construction partner as we begin work to deliver another successful project for this client.”

Balfour Beatty said that the design and right-of-way acquisition will commence later in 2019 with utility relocation scheduled in 2020.

Construction is scheduled to commence in early 2021 and be completed in 2023.

Following an assessment, NCDOT has identified the US 70 as one of the three important corridors, which upon improvement would assist economic development in eastern North Carolina.

Earlier in 2019, Balfour Beatty signed a $780m construction agreement with Matthews Southwest to deliver the Broward County Convention Center expansion project and add a new four-diamond Headquarters Hotel in Fort Lauderdale in Florida, US.

The $900m project involves the addition of more than 525,000ft² of meeting space to the Broward County Convention Center and an 800-room, four-diamond Omni Hotel on the property.

With such large scale construction activities, the site will cover an area of 81,000m2 similar to that of New York’s Rockefeller Center and shall also have extensive greenery of 24,000m2 which will include a 6,000m2 central square. The total floor area of the project will be 860,400m2, which will include, 213,900m2 of office space and around 1,400 residential units. Shingo Tsuji, chief executive of Mori also confirmed that they are also planning development of a British School for around 700 students from 50 countries. This step might push for more global companies coming in and hence will also attract workers from abroad. The idea of this humungous project is to offer a congenial environment in the heart of Tokyo to overseas expats so that they could work, live and learn. One of the three towers will have 64 floors and is set to become the country’s tallest building standing at 330m. It will also have a luxury hotel brand debuting in the country, a large scale food market and a medical facility.

The Toranomon-Azabudai redevelopment is estimated to get over by March of 2023 and promises to be one of the landmark projects of the country.

The contract won by LTHE is for the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC) of three Central Processing (CPF) facilities for the South West Gas project, located in the Adrar province.

The three facilities will be built close to each other at Hassi Ba Hamou and Reg Mouaded, Hassi Tidjerane and Tinerkouk fields, said the Larsen & Toubro subsidiary.

The CPF at the Hassi Ba Hamou and Reg Mouaded field will have a capacity of 6 million metric standard cubic meters per day (MMSCMD) while the CPFs at the Hassi Tidjerane and Tinerkouk fields will each have capacities of 4 MMSCMD.

LTHE revealed that the process facilities include separation, compression system, mercury removal, hydrocarbon dew point control, gas dehydration along with associated offsite and utilities.

The company said that the project will maximize modularization, thereby cutting down on site construction works while achieving standardization across the fields.

All modules of the facilities for the South West Gas project are planned to be fabricated in-house at the manufacturing facilities of Larsen & Toubro.

LTHE, in a statement, said: “The contract has been awarded through international competitive bidding on a Lump Sum Turn Key (LSTK) basis.

“Bagging this order from Sonatrach reflects confidence of Oil and Gas majors in LTHE’s capabilities to execute mega projects for the Oil and Gas processing industry globally.”

The India-based LTHE offers ‘design to build’ engineering and construction solutions for the entire hydrocarbon spectrum.

Last month, the company won EPCC contracts from Indian Oil (IOCL) for establishing a Mono Ethylene Glycol (MEG) Plant and an Ethylene Recovery Unit (ERU) at the IOCL Paradip Refinery in the Indian state Odisha.

Also in January, the company in consortium with Subsea 7 won a contract from Saudi Aramco related to the Zuluf and Berri fields located offshore Saudi Arabia. Under the contract, the consortium will undertake the engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) of three oil production deck manifolds and subsea pipelines in the two offshore fields.

The contract secured by Caddick Construction, part of the Yorkshire-based Caddick Group, is worth £35m.

Palace Capital consists of a diversified portfolio of UK regional commercial real estate in locations outside of London.

On 7 February 2019, Palace Capital announced that it has arranged a £26.5m debt facility with Barclays Bank, through its Leeds office, to part finance the scheme and the remainder will be funded from the company’s existing cash resources.

Palace Capital CEO Neil Sinclair said: “We are delighted that we will be working with Caddick Construction over the next two years to construct this exciting development situated only one minute’s walk away from York Railway Station and within the historic walls of York City.”

Demolition has already been completed at the site. Construction is expected to commence in February 2019 with completion scheduled for 2021.

The development scheme will consist of 127 apartments, 34,500ft² of offices, 5,000ft² of commercial space, as well as car parking.

Caddick Construction managing director Andrew Murray said: “This is a prestigious development in the heart of York city centre so we feel very privileged to be part of this development.

“The Caddick team is looking forward to the next two years where we will see new life being breathed into Hudson Quarter.”

Palace Capital has a £300m diversified portfolio of UK regional commercial property and the company’s investment strategy focuses on towns and cities outside of London that are characterised by thriving local economies and strengthening fundamentals.

Within those locations, the property investment company selects assets that have the potential to drive capital value and long-term rental income through tailored asset management programmes, delivering attractive shareholder returns.

The contract, which starts immediaetely, includes a 5,000 sqm water feature, restaurants, utilities and landscaping elements.

Located next to Expo 2020’s centrepiece Al Wasl Plaza, the public spaces will give millions of people from around the world an opportunity to relax, enjoy a bite to eat and take in the action during the six-month event.

Ahmed Al Khatib, chief site delivery officer – Real Estate and Delivery, Expo 2020 Dubai, said the contract reinforces commitment to UAE companies.

“As the first world expo to take place in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region, Expo 2020 represents an incredible commercial opportunity for UAE companies of all sizes,” he said.

“By collaborating with industry leaders, we aim to deliver a world-class destination with public areas that complement Expo’s immersive visitor experience, while creating a positive economic impact for our nation.”

Other UAE-based companies are playing a leading role in the construction of Expo 2020 Dubai include Al-Futtaim Construction, Al Naboodah Construction, Besix, Khansaheb and Tristar Engineering.

In line with its theme of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, Expo 2020 Dubai expects to welcome 25 million visits between 20 October, 2020 and 10 April, 2021.

Approximately 70 percent of its visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE – the largest proportion of international visitors in the 168-year history of world expos.

As well as its family-friendly public areas and Al Wasl Plaza, Expo 2020 will feature three thematic pavilions inspired by its key subthemes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability and 190 country pavilions.

Awarded through National Grid’s Overhead Line Design and Build Framework, the contract is one of three awards within the framework and forms a critical part of the Hinkley Point C (HPC) connection scheme, linking the new nuclear reactor to the national grid.

Securing the North and South 400kV Overhead Line project marks the third major package of works Balfour Beatty will deliver at HPC. This follows the company’s appointment to the nuclear power station’s electrical works package in a joint venture with NG Bailey in 2015, now part of the MEH Joint Venture, and the tunneling and marine works package in 2017.

As part of the contract, Balfour Beatty will design, supply, install, test and commission a new overhead line spanning 48.4km and crossing through the Mendip Hills in Somerset, where Balfour Beatty is currently delivering cable works under a separate contract for National Grid. On completion, the new line will connect HPC with a new substation in Avonmouth, Bristol.

The company will utilise National Grid’s new T-Pylon design, marking the first time this technology has been used on a live transmission asset and significantly improving efficiency, reliability and safety by vastly reducing the need for the workforce to work at height.

Mark Bullock, Balfour Beatty’s Chief Executive Officer for its Rail and Utilities business, said: “Our extensive knowledge and unique capability in delivering major complex Overhead Line schemes, makes us ideally positioned to play a key role in helping to deliver the first nuclear power station to be built in the UK for more than 20 years.

“We look forward to working with National Grid to successfully and safely deliver low-carbon electricity for around six million homes across the UK.”

Works are due to commence this month, with completion expected in summer 2025. At construction peak, the project will employ a workforce of over 150, providing local employment as well as apprenticeship and graduate opportunities.