Turkey to Accelerate "Green and Digital Dual Transformation" in Construction Industry by 2026

Turkey's recently released 2026 Presidential Annual Plan indicates that the country will accelerate the greening and digitalization of the construction industry next year to enhance the global competitiveness of its contractors and engineering consulting firms.

This comprehensive plan, known as "dual transformation," aims to expand the utilization of renewable resources, strengthen the supply chain system, promote the production of cost-competitive low-carbon building materials, and enhance the industry's technological capabilities and innovation levels.

The southeastern region of Turkey suffered severe damage in the earthquake in February 2023. According to the plan, urban renewal and reconstruction projects related to this area will continue to be promoted over the next year, and are expected to become a significant growth driver for the construction industry. The plan also mentions that the Turkish construction sector still faces multiple challenges, including rising costs, financing difficulties, a shortage of skilled workers, unstable raw material supply, geopolitical tensions, and market fluctuations and pressures in certain industries caused by trade protection policies.

The plan emphasizes that in the coming year, efforts should be accelerated to promote new technologies such as carbon-neutral concrete, AI design management, 3D-printed structures, and renewable smart materials. These innovations help improve energy efficiency, reduce costs and risks, but at the same time demand the industry to quickly adapt to new standards. In addition, the application of drone monitoring technology will be widely used in construction safety and progress management.

In addition, to support industry transformation, the government will establish a national green certification system to assess and certify environmentally friendly buildings and communities, and expand the number of certified buildings. At the same time, university architecture and engineering courses will be updated to cultivate professionals skilled in building information modeling, circular economy practices, energy efficiency management, and will enhance education in administrative fields including law, contracts, project, and risk management.

As of now, Turkish contractors have undertaken 12,627 projects globally, with a total contract value of $543.6 billion. Among these, railway projects account for 26.1%, while highway, tunnel, and bridge projects account for 14.1%. According to annual plan forecasts, the total global technical consulting services projects are expected to reach $210 million by 2026, and the total global contracting services business volume is expected to reach $28 billion.