"We need to talk about how we build, not just how much we build"
Construction times in Israel are breaking negative records. While everyone understands the urgent need, there are not enough incentives or real infrastructure to change the reality on the ground. Industry sources explain that the technology exists, but integration is slow and the pace must be increased. "The construction industry is chronically short of manpower, and the right question is not where to bring more workers from, but how much each worker builds."
The construction of an average residential project in Israel takes about 37 months. That is over three years — a long time. Even in international comparison, Israel is poorly positioned relative to the Western world, Europe and the USA. This is not a matter of fate, but a combination of old culture and work procedures and a lack of desire or economic incentive to adopt new technologies. And there is no shortage of new or relevant technologies. In recent decades, new methods and significant tools have been developed that can shorten the construction process and make it more efficient, but things take too long to be absorbed in the local market.
Haim Feiglin, Deputy President of the Israel Builders Association, addresses the combination of industrialized construction and its contribution to improving productivity in the industry: "There is no doubt that increasing the level of industrialization in the industry is the key to increasing labor productivity, a trend we have seen accumulating significantly over the last 20 years. However, to realize the technological potential inherent in industrialization, planning adaptation is required — with an emphasis on high-density construction based on repetitive elements. In practice, the main challenge lies in planning fragmentation: about a quarter to a third of construction in Israel is low-density suburban construction, where the investment required in complex industrialization infrastructure, such as modern tower cranes and industrial molds, becomes clearly uneconomical. As long as planning remains scattered, sparse, and non-repetitive, the ability to implement advanced technologies and boost productivity remains blocked."
Printing houses
Following Feiglin's words, one can already find companies today that deal with the field of printing, and if it once sounded like science fiction, it is approaching rapidly. "3D concrete printing sounds futuristic, but the idea is simple," explains Yohanan Kaplinikov, founder and CEO of the Kaplinikov Group. "A robotic printer builds the walls of the house layer by layer, from a dedicated concrete mixture based on local raw materials. A small team operates it, and the skeleton, which takes months today, is printed within days. In practice, this is a reduction of up to 80% in the time of erecting the skeleton and a saving of more than a third of the construction cost. Every month saved is less financing, less rent, and less delay costs. What is missing in Israel is not the technology, but the approval path."
According to Kaplinikov, "the real story is productivity. The construction industry is chronically short of manpower, and the right question is not where to bring more workers from, but how much each worker builds. When the printer raises the skeleton, one worker operating it performs work that until today required an entire team. And this is not a competition for jobs, this is an answer to the shortage: the worker is upgraded from manual labor to a robotic system operator, a profession that did not exist here a decade ago. This transition does not happen on its own: we accompany it with training and qualifications, which prepare professionals from conventional construction to work with the printer. And this training connects directly to the second change, safety. The main cause of serious accidents in construction is working at height, and at a printing site it is greatly reduced: fewer scaffolds, fewer formwork, fewer people in risk areas, and each layer is planned and documented digitally in advance."
"Increasing productivity — a necessary condition"
"If the State of Israel really wants to increase the supply of apartments, it must also start talking about how they build, not just how much they build," explains Ariel Fukotinsky, CEO of Ecowall. "Increasing productivity is not a theoretical goal, but a necessary condition for the industry's ability to meet demand. Advanced construction methods allow for more work to be done in less time, reduce dependence on manpower on site, reduce errors, and improve the quality of execution."
According to him, the Ecowall system well illustrates this change. Unlike methods where the building envelope is installed only after the skeleton is completed, the system is integrated already at the stage of concrete pouring and becomes an integral part of the structure. Thus, a significant work stage is saved, schedules are shortened, and a higher quality, more accurate, and more durable envelope is obtained.
Roi Malka, CEO of the Kostika Group, which specializes in the design, production, and installation of advanced envelope systems, also addresses the issue. "The quality of the building envelope is not determined only at the construction site. It starts with careful and creative engineering design, continues with advanced production processes based on advanced technologies, automation, and strict quality control at the factory, and only then reaches its peak with precise installation on site," says Malka. "The construction industry has been undergoing a fundamental change in recent years, centered on a shift from execution processes based on assembly work on site to advanced industrialization processes. One of the clear expressions of this trend is the increasing use of envelope systems using the Unitized method, a method where entire envelope units are produced at the factory, undergo full quality control, and arrive at the site ready for installation."
"An engine for economic efficiency"
Malka adds that "this method is not only a tool for improving construction quality, but also an engine for economic efficiency: faster and more accurate assembly on site translates for developers and contractors into better adherence to schedules and reduced dependence on changing site conditions. In large-scale projects, where every delay carries costs of financing, management, and manpower, shortening the envelope stage can lead to financial savings, earlier delivery of the building, and reduced risk of budget overruns."
"A strategic move to strengthen the construction industries"
After long years when the issue of increasing productivity, construction industrialization, and technology implementation in the construction industry was not a priority, it seems that now there is a start of promoting and implementing new initiatives. For example, a joint program of the Innovation Authority, the Ministry of Construction and Housing, and the Ministry of Transport to create a "joint strategic move to strengthen the construction and infrastructure industries in Israel." As part of the program, about 60 million shekels were invested in advanced technologies intended to "accelerate the establishment of infrastructure, improve its durability, reduce costs, and support national security."
The Ministry of Construction and Housing reported that "within the framework of this move, about 28 million shekels were allocated for the development of innovative reinforced concrete systems, which will contribute to reducing the environmental damage involved in cement production and extending the service life of infrastructure in Israel. Combining advanced technologies is considered a necessary condition for meeting national goals." Parallel to this, a national strategic program was also launched with the goal of "implementing innovation in the construction industry in Israel." The program focuses on four main areas: development of human capital and knowledge, promotion of infrastructure supporting innovation, financing and incentive system, and enabling regulation.
