Abstract
The demand for affordable, high-quality homes and premises has increased as society has evolved. Construction companies have shown that an industrialised housebuilding (IHB) platform strategy is an effective way of meeting exacting customer requirements. We decided to apply a managerial perspective and consider the IHB platform as a technological solution when investigating technology transfer (TT) in a construction context. Drawing on a meta-analysis of the literature and a qualitative case study at an IHB company, this work examines how two construction companies participate in TT. The results show that the IHB platform strategy can help a company overcome uncertainties associated with the TT process. Furthermore, the platform strategy supports the transferability of IHB to different markets, which, in turn, provides unique opportunities for companies from other contexts to enter the construction market. Our findings also revealed that CEOs from three construction companies were not only interested in TT due to potential profit improvements, but also considered how the process could benefit their employees and the community. This may be a result that is specific to Nordic culture or insight into a unique characteristic of the broad construction industry. This study contributes knowledge to the scarce research field of TT in a construction context. It provides evidence for how further cases of TT may disrupt the construction industry in terms of new business models or companies from the diverse field entering the market.
Highlights
The answer to the question “Why should construction companies be interested in technology transfer (TT)?” is multifaceted
Based on the results of this case study, we argue that industrialised housebuilding (IHB) companies pursuing a platform strategy have reasonable grounds for TT, through which they can potentially explore expansion to other markets
The findings from the empirical case study were analysed according to the concepts presented in Fig. 1, the conceptual TT model, which had been developed based on the literature review
Summary
The answer to the question “Why should construction companies be interested in technology transfer (TT)?” is multifaceted. The diverse challenges currently facing society, e.g., demographic shifts, intense urbanisation, ambitious climate goals, and maintaining high employment levels, will inevitably affect the construction sector (Brege et al 2017). As a consequence of these driving forces, the demand for increased construction of homes and premises is becoming increasingly apparent. These factors, especially urbanisation, have resulted in the global construction industry hitting an all-time high of 1.39 trillion USD in 2018 (Deloitte 2019). A considerable rise in TT within the construction sector can be expected during the decade
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