INTERMAT, the international trade show for construction and infrastructure, has officially unveiled its first construction Observatory, produced in association with Business France. The INTERMAT Observatory was born out of the desire to establish stronger bonds with the market and provide construction equipment manufacturers with strategic research on 12 countries in the EMEA zone, handpicked for their planned investment levels in infrastructure and buildings.
Designed as a working tool to support the growth of firms, the report analyzes each country’s domestic investment plans, both ongoing and planned for 2025-2030, divided into application sectors (airports, buildings, railways, mining and quarries, ports, roads, transport) and offers an overview of the major projects, the main imports and exports of construction equipment and the foreign brands established in each country.
"INTERMAT 2018 is the exhibition for economic recovery and technological innovation in the construction sector. The Europe, Middle East and Africa zone that we cover holds a wealth of opportunities for companies in the sector. With the INTERMAT Observatory, we are offering all our partners an up-to-date working tool to support them in their development plans on high-potential markets,” Isabelle Alfano, Exhibition Director.
Main findings of the Observatory
Europe: 925 billion euros of investment planned up until 2030-2050
The six European countries studied – Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom – represent 925 billion euros of projects, running up to 2030 for some and 2050 for others. Based on the master plans sourced, Germany tops the list (€287 bn up to 2030) followed by Italy (€223 bn) and the UK (€167 bn). France arrives fourth at €139 bn (€63 bn for the Netherlands and €42 bn for Belgium).
Grand Paris and Grand Paris Express constitute the headline projects for the next 15 years in Europe, with €67 billion of investment planned.
The sectors offering the highest development potential for firms are, in descending order: roads, railways and buildings.
Africa: €307 billion euros of investment between now and 2040
The four African countries studied, two in the Maghreb (Morocco and Algeria), and two in sub-Saharan Africa (a Francophone country with Ivory Coast and an Anglophone country with Kenya), account for €307.2 billion of investment between now and 2040.
Algeria (€183.7 bn) and Morocco (€87.8 bn) feature the highest investment plans to 2030.
The sectors offering the highest development potential for construction firms are road and rail followed by buildings and ports.
Among the region’s most noteworthy projects:
- In Algeria: the construction of 1.6 million dwellings between now and 2019 (€20 billion) and the construction of the fourth southern bypass around Algiers
- In Morocco: the construction of a high-speed line running more than 2,000 km between the three countries of central Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia)
- In Ivory Coast: the construction of the port of San Pedro (€1.3 billion)
- In Kenya: the Standard Gauge Railway Project (€7.35 billion), the country’s most substantial infrastructure project since it gained independence.
- Middle East: €239 bn of investment planned up to 2033
The two Middle Eastern countries, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, plan to invest €239.3 billion up to 2033.
Qatar slightly exceeds the Emirates, with €137.2 billion compared to €102 billion.
The two most promising sectors are buildings and roads.
Among the region’s flagship projects:
- In the United Arab Emirates: road improvements in Dubai and Abu Dhabi (€733 million)
- In Qatar: the Smart City of Lusail (€40 billion, delivery between 2020 and 2022) and the road drainage program (between 15 and 20 billion euros).
Download the full findings of the INTERMAT Construction Observatory.
