The need to encourage the participation of SMEs in innovative activities to promote the circular economy is highlighted.
The Construction Technology Centre of the Region of Murcia (CTCON), an association linked to FRECOM, has drawn up a document with measures to encourage the participation of small and medium-sized companies in R&D&I activities that contribute to improving construction products and processes, increasing competitiveness and promoting the circular economy.
In the construction sector in Spain, the number of companies with R+D+i does not exceed 11 Tbp3T. Moreover, R&D expenditure by these companies represents 1.41 TTP3T of total industrial R&D expenditure, which does not correspond to the impact on the GDP of the companies in the sector. More than 75% of this R&D&I expenditure is carried out by large companies, which are the driving force of technology in the sector.
The economic crisis, as a result of COVID-19, will seriously damage investment in R&D&I, and it is therefore proposed that the following measures be implemented:
- Financing of technology forums and technical conferences to promote R&D&I.
- Promote lines of business financing for R+D+i for SMEs and large companies, in consortium with SMEs.
- Include R&D&I in the specifications for public works tenders.
- Collaborate with public administrations in pilot projects of new materials, processes or innovative construction systems developed by companies in the Region of Murcia.
- Promotion of innovative public procurement. Companies in the construction sector have technologies of great interest that solve specific or general problems of the public administration.
- Digital transformation of the construction sector. Collaborate with the administration in the implementation of measures to guarantee companies' access to technological services that enable teleworking, guarantee security and commerce.
- Collaboration of the Construction Technology Centre with public administrations in pilot projects of Proptech technologies developed by companies in the Region of Murcia.
- To promote R&D&I for the detection of new uses and applications in building and civil works, as well as in the construction industries, for the improvement of the energy efficiency of machines, processes and final products.
Sector proposals
This set of measures is in addition to those that have already been presented by other groups of the Federation in isolation, namely the Chamber of Public Works Contractors of the Region of Murcia; the Association of Real Estate Developers of the Region of Murcia; and the Association of Aggregate Manufacturers of the Region of Murcia.
