In a recent article published by ConstructConnect, a strong warning is issued: Canada needs a technological revolution in the construction (ConTech) and real estate (PropTech) sectors if it is to deal with its growing housing crisis.

According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the country would need to build between 430,000 and 480,000 homes a year over the next decade to restore affordability. In 2023, barely 240,000 were raised, and the forecasts for 2024 are not much better. The diagnosis is clear: without a radical change in the way projects are planned, designed and executed, Canada will not reach the necessary production levels.

The solution involves a massive adoption of ConTech and PropTech technologies capable of increasing productivity, reducing costs and accelerating deadlines. Tools such as BIM and collaborative platforms can transform construction management, while industrialized and modular construction has already proven in countries such as Sweden that it allows production to be scaled up quickly. Robotics, 3D printing and automation are presented as alternatives to fill the labor shortage, while PropTech based on artificial intelligence and data analysis offers new ways to identify viable land and reduce risks in real estate development.

The article denounces that the sector continues to be anchored in manual processes, with excessive use of paper and no real-time data, which prevents scaling solutions at the pace demanded by the housing emergency.

Although the focus is on Canada, the parallels with Europe are obvious. In many European countries, including Spain, the challenges are similar: lack of affordable housing, ageing of the building stock, shortage of skilled labour and still limited technological adoption. At the Barcelona ConTech Hub, we share the vision that the digital transformation of the sector is not optional, but a structural necessity. The Canadian experience reinforces the urgency of accelerating this transition in our environment as well.

The ConTech and PropTech revolution is not just an opportunity for innovation. It is an indispensable condition for guaranteeing the right to housing in the twenty-first century.