Construction is one of the key sectors of the Lombardy economy. The figures speak for themselves: over 127,000 active businesses in the first quarter of 2026 (accounting for almost 16% of the regional total), over 800,000 employees (+23% compared to 2019, the pre-Superbonus year) and a turnover that already exceeded €265 billion in 2024. Among the most significant issues for the sector’s development is digitalisation, with the adoption of new technological tools that are changing the way projects are designed, built and managed. This was discussed today during the third stop of the SAIE Lab | On Tour in Brescia, dedicated to the digital evolution of the construction sector and part of the tour of travelling technical workshops organised by SAIE – La Fiera delle Costruzioni (SAIE – The Construction Fair: design, building, and systems, scheduled to take place at BolognaFiere from 7 to 10 October 2026).

The SAIE Observatory was also presented at the SAIE Lab in Brescia, in collaboration with Nomisma, analysing market trends and the views of manufacturing, distribution and service companies operating in the Lombardy construction and plant engineering sector. What conclusions can be drawn?

SAIE Observatory: figures for the construction sector in Lombardy

Overall, the Lombardy-based businesses surveyed are showing a sense of cautious optimism. Over half of the sample express confidence in their future: one in three companies expects to end the year with an increase in turnover. As regards the order book, almost 50% of companies believe their order book is sufficient to ensure financial sustainability, whilst 36% do not yet have a clear idea on the matter. Plans for hiring new staff are also excellent, with more than 1 in 2 companies stating that they have expanded their workforce in the last quarter. Among the most sought-after roles in Lombardy, office staff stand out in particular (75%), followed by both highly skilled (38%) and unskilled (25%) workers.

The issue of human resources remains central to the journey towards digitalisation. In a sector that is evolving towards increasingly digital processes, the availability of skilled workers becomes a decisive factor in sustaining productivity, efficiency and the ability to integrate. However, as in other regions, the problem of a shortage of skilled staff persists in Lombardy (reported by 56% of businesses). Not only that, but companies are also affected by regulatory uncertainty and pressure on raw material costs (47% and 46% respectively). These are factors that directly impact the ability to invest in innovation and to support the sector’s digital transformation.

As regards the European Housing Plan, awareness levels are low: 58% of Lombardy-based firms say they have never heard of it, whilst 42% say they are aware of it. Among those who assess their own ability to respond to the Plan, 44% consider themselves very or fully prepared to meet the demand for more sustainable and innovative buildings and infrastructure, whilst 34% attribute the same level of preparedness to the market as a whole.

How do Italian companies compare with the European market? Seven out of ten Lombardy-based firms believe the Italian landscape is on a par with the European one, with 22% considering Italian manufacturers superior to those of other nations. Only a very small proportion, however, regard them as uncompetitive.

“Digitalisation and innovation in construction are increasingly central to the sector: these are factors that are profoundly transforming the way construction sites are designed and managed, with effects set to enhance productivity, completion times and safety across the entire supply chain,” said Emilio Bianchi, General Manager of SAIE. “At SAIE, this approach has long been central, because innovation is precisely one of the pillars on which we have built the event and which we believe must be integrated into the sector through opportunities for discussion, training and in-depth analysis. For this reason, the content and opportunities that have emerged today will also feature at the fair, helping to further broaden the dialogue on these issues.”

The format of SAIE Lab and SAIE Bologna 2026

The SAIE Lab | On Tour event in Brescia, moderated by Ingenio’s Director Andrea Dari, was dedicated to the theme of digital construction, with a focus on the technologies and tools that are redefining the design, construction and management of buildings and infrastructure. Among the participants was Massimo Deldossi, Vice-President of ANCE, who discussed the impact of digitalisation on local businesses, analysing, amongst other things, project management and the issue of new skills. The Brescia event is the penultimate of the four SAIE Lab | On Tour events, which will conclude in Genoa in June. Each stage of the SAIE Labs will then converge at SAIE Bologna 2026, where the initiative will be presented to the public on a national scale, bringing together professionals, institutions, businesses and associations for a discussion on strategic technical issues for the sector.

The event was held under the patronage of ANCE Giovani; ANCE Brescia; Federcostruzioni; AIST – Italian Association of Technical Software; Assobim; CNA Brescia; the Association of Surveyors and Graduate Surveyors of the Province of Brescia; Confindustria Lombardia; Formedil; the Order of Architects, Planners, Landscape Architects and Conservationists of Brescia, Milan and Pavia; the Order of Engineers of the Provinces of Brescia, Bergamo, Como and Verona; the Foundation of Engineers of the Province of Brescia; the Fondazione Campus Edilizia Brescia ETS; the Order of Industrial Technicians and Graduate Industrial Technicians of the Provinces of Brescia, Monza and Brianza, Lecco and Como; and UNI.

SAIE will return to Bologna from 7 to 10 October 2026, following the success of the 2024 edition, which recorded record results with over 40,000 visitors (up 7% on the previous edition) and 560 exhibiting companies, continuing the strategic annual rotation between the two exhibition centres in Bari and Bologna. The event is characterised by an advanced exhibition format, divided into four sectors – Design, Construction, Systems and Services, and Media – representing the entire construction ecosystem. Alongside the exhibition halls, the special initiatives are organised into four thematic strands: SAIE Sustainability; SAIE Infrastructure; SAIE People at the Centre; and SAIE Innovation.