As we begin 2025, the road ahead has some familiar concerns, with the labor shortage continuing to top the list across all construction sectors, no matter the size of the company. Economic uncertainty, rising costs, and geopolitical tensions add to those challenges.

On a positive note, the industry is still seeing a steady stream of work, with infrastructure, backed by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the ongoing development of projects like data centers and fulfillment centers helping contractors build backlogs. Lower inflation and interest rates are also expected to drive construction growth.

Technology will continue to play an essential role in reshaping the way projects are designed and delivered in the coming year, enabling greater productivity and efficiency in a continually workforce-challenged environment.

Here are our top five (plus one) insights for 2025.

According to a recent Trimble survey, 30 percent of respondents expect data accessibility to be a major topic in 2025, and 27 percent intend to invest in data analytics in the coming year. The value of timely data access to support better insights is simply too compelling to ignore. Along the same lines, 59 percent of those surveyed believe that technology integration will be one of the biggest themes in 2025.

The challenges of interoperability are real. While contractors are continuing to adopt new technology, each new hardware or software system isn’t necessarily interoperable with the rest of a company’s digital ecosystem. Unfortunately, the differences in field-level validation logic and workflow parameters often don’t translate well across different systems.

However, we saw a significant shift over the past year to more connected data environments, where data from multiple systems is visible and actionable in one place. It will be increasingly easier to exchange data automatically between systems — in the office and in the field — thanks to more data-centric solutions. That improved data exchange will enable teams to see and resolve problems much quicker.

The continued adoption of the ISO mixed-technology fleet standards has greatly simplified data sharing across machines and will continue to do so in the coming year. A number of major industry players — including Trimble, Topcon, John Deere, and Caterpillar — are collaborating on Part 4 of ISO 15143, which specifies system architecture for the exchange of data related to the use of earth-moving machinery. Contractors can expect this to make it easier for them to manage mixed technology on the job site.

Technology leaders are also working closely to drive better communication. For example, Trimble and Caterpillar’s extended joint venture, expected to take effect in the first quarter of 2025, will bring considerable benefits to the broader construction industry. This expanded partnership will accelerate innovation and expand the distribution network, making it easier for users of all equipment brands to purchase and maximize their use of technology. It will enable the seamless integration of data across different machine types and brands, thus facilitating a more efficient and data-driven approach to decision-making on mixed-fleet job sites.

These advancements are set to transform the way construction companies leverage technology to improve overall productivity and performance.

In the same recent Trimble survey, 59 percent of respondents said that artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (AI/ML) will be one of the industry’s hottest topics in 2025, and for good reason — it has and will continue to transform the construction industry due to the many efficiencies it brings.

Whether it’s automating processes, improving decision-making, or enhancing team productivity, AI/ML can improve data management and the opportunity to gain insights in real-time or near real-time. For instance, Trimble Business Center uses an AI algorithm to generate pavement condition reports from mobile mapping data, conduct quick stockpile volume calculations using drone data, and train data sets for tailored, AI-optimized results. These kinds of AI capabilities will be foundational to future solutions.

Embedded AI algorithms will also extend the value of emerging augmented reality and reality capture tools and techniques. We expect reality capture technology such as laser scanning to continue to grow in flexibility and importance in the coming year. Recent advancements like the Trimble Reality Capture platform enable more effective collaboration and the secure sharing of massive reality capture data sets from 3D laser scanning, mobile mapping, and unmanned aerial vehicles. Watch for innovations like this to deliver an interactive digital twin for everyone on a project to plan, verify, and measure performance and quality.

Of course, new and more capable robotics and autonomous machines will also continue to emerge. We’ll see more autonomous machines being tested, trialed, and deployed on job sites in 2025, along with measured productivity benefits. The data collected from robots, semi-automated, and autonomous solutions will be foundational to a more productive workflow that builds on best practices and lessons learned from these intelligent systems.

GNSS is so ingrained in the surveying and construction space, many don’t realize it’s an evolving technology. Through improved software, it’s becoming more accurate and better able to handle signal disruptions.

Looking ahead to 2025, expect improvements in GNSS positioning performance. These solutions will be better equipped to obtain and maintain precision position and heading in a range of solutions for a wide variety of applications.

Those capabilities are particularly important due to Solar Cycle 25, when GNSS signals experience more delay due to solar events, both storm-based and ionospheric. These events will likely cause disruptions to radio signals even in mid-latitude regions, though the intensity of those disruptions is largely unpredictable.

Contractors relying on GNSS should explore their options now to mitigate against these disturbances and decrease downtime and loss of productivity in 2025.

New opportunities for construction organizations to adopt technology will continue to emerge.

In 2024, purchasing hardware, software, and services using a subscription became one of the most important — and most popular — adaptations in the construction industry. The subscription model provides a way for contractors of all sizes to maximize their budgets and their technology investments. Subscriptions can include customized support (e.g., installation, upgrades, repairs) for machine control hardware/software, site positioning systems, correction services, and office software for a fixed monthly fee. For many contractors, subscriptions simplify the tracking of costs and equipment for a more predictable and stable cash flow.

Expect to see subscription offerings expand and mature in the coming year.

As workforce shortages continue, the need for more efficient, streamlined workflows will continue to dominate the construction space.

In fact, more than 54 percent of Trimble survey respondents identified the labor shortage as the biggest challenge facing them in 2025. With the goal of helping offset these challenges, we expect technology providers to continue innovating in a number of ways.

A lack of skilled workers is a big hurdle to overcoming the labor shortage. Per the 2024 Workforce Survey from the Associated General Contractors of America and Arcoro, 62 percent of respondents report that available candidates do not have the required skills and certificates to work in the industry. Technology company investments in learning labs, task automation, and easier data analysis and decision-making are essential both to attracting younger workers and to giving these individuals the right training.

In the coming year, there will be greater investment from technology providers in university and trade school programs. These include programs such as Trimble’s Technology Labs that provide college students with access to today’s leading construction technologies. With added hands-on learning opportunities, these labs help a greater number of students prepare for their future careers.

We’re excited about the year ahead as our industry continues its extraordinary evolution to improve efficiency and productivity, while attracting and training the next generation of talent.