IFS points out the construction sector as one of the industries most oriented to the adoption of artificial intelligence throughout this year. Specifically, its IFS 2026 trends and predictions report ensures that 91% of companies in the construction sector plan to increase their investment in AI in 2026.
The trend confirms a transformation that has already been consolidating since 2024 in the construction industry. “Our previous study of the sector revealed that 63% of construction and engineering companies planned to adopt a new ERP system within one or two years, as a key step to scale the use of AI within the organization,” explains Gonzalo Valle, pre-sales director at IFS.
Use in project execution
Along these lines, IFS assures that the application of AI in industrial environments linked to construction is already generating tangible results among the companies that are incorporating it. Among the main current uses in construction projects are project execution (62%) and business intelligence (59%).
With all this, a recent report by the specialist indicates that 89% of construction companies that have adopted AI early claim to have increased their profitability. In addition, the data shows relevant improvements in key strategic areas for construction, such as 44% above the cross-sector average in operational efficiency, a 42% reduction in supply costs and a 36% reduction in project expenses.
“Technological modernization is being one of the pillars of this evolution in construction. Organizations are looking for future-ready ERP platforms as a basis for implementing reliable and scalable AI solutions, capable of unifying data and accelerating decision making,” say Kenny Ingram, vice president of C&E, and Chris Knight, global industry director, C&E.
In this context, industrial AI is consolidated as a key tool for construction companies, by improving business control by automating the collection and analysis of information, reducing dependence on manual processes and eliminating inconsistencies derived from human estimates.
A more resilient sector in the face of economic uncertainty
In a scenario of global volatility, the construction and engineering industry—highly dependent on margins per project—is especially vulnerable to deviations and risks. For this reason, control over project management in construction has become a priority, and AI is positioned as a differential factor to anticipate deviations and improve results.
Technological modernization is being one of the pillars of this evolution in construction
In fact, construction companies expect the biggest benefits of AI to be concentrated in project execution (41%) and increasing profitability (36%).
Thus, 2026 is presented as a year marked by a construction industry that is more connected, efficient and prepared to respond to the current challenges of productivity, sustainability and operational complexity, according to the IFS company.
