Framing his remarks around the Summit’s main themes of Recruitment & Retention, Sustainability, Digitalisation, and The Commercial Model, Mr Farmer warned that the sector remains “really dysfunctional across all of those areas at the moment, whether we like it or not”.

A central theme of his address was the volatility of the construction market. Mr Farmer argued that the industry is uniquely vulnerable to economic cycles: “Our sector gets disproportionately impacted… people turn the tap on and off pretty quickly when things get tough. And also it’s synchronised with the housing market”.

This instability, he suggested, undermines investment in skills, training, and technology, trapping businesses in what he described as a “vicious circle” of short-termism.

On workforce challenges, Mr Farmer stressed the urgency of both recruitment and retention, pointing to Scotland’s looming labour replacement crisis. “We do not have enough people,” he said plainly. “It’s not about we can’t physically do it. We’d have a go, and we’d probably make some big mistakes… every time we have an economic boom, our industry overtrades”.

He called for a strategic workforce plan tied directly to the pipeline of upcoming projects, alongside reforms to apprenticeships and a move toward “skilled passporting” to build long-term competence across the sector.

Technology and sustainability were also high on the agenda. Mr Farmer highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence, robotics, and off-site manufacturing in reshaping construction. “It may well be that if you take AI into the world of robotics, then it starts to disrupt a whole load of industry structures,” he predicted. On decarbonisation, he praised Scotland’s “low-carbon passport scheme” and timber-framed housing as examples of how the nation is leading the way, but warned that political volatility could derail progress.

Mr Farmer closed with a call to rethink commercial models, criticising the cash-based, tiered contracting system that puts unsustainable pressure on the supply chain. Instead, he urged a shift towards profit-focused models that reward efficiency and quality: “Being cheap doesn’t mean most people make less money. We’ve got to pivot… cut out the waste and feed it back into the industry so everyone gets a bit more”.

Praise for Scotland’s approach to forecasting and apprenticeships

Mr Farmer also pointed to areas where Scotland is setting the pace for the wider UK. He singled out the Scottish Futures Trust’s construction pipeline forecasting tool as “best in class,” describing it as far more effective than Westminster’s equivalent. “Scotland has a great asset here,” he said.

“What it does is it gives you visibility of what could be cut… it’s a lot better than other things that are out there”. While he cautioned that it cannot fully remove uncertainty, he stressed that visibility of future work is critical to building confidence and encouraging long-term investment in skills and technology.

On training, Mr Farmer praised Scotland’s modern apprenticeship structure, calling it “really interesting stuff” compared with the English system. He argued that modular, flexible apprenticeships and initiatives like the low-carbon skills passport are helping Scotland better prepare its workforce for the future. “We need a whole workforce approach,” he said, urging the industry to think not only about apprentices and trainees but also reskilling the existing workforce to adapt to new technologies and sustainability requirements.

The Scottish Construction Summit is the flagship event from Scottish Construction Now.

Supported by headline sponsor SPI Piling alongside McLaughlin & Harvey, ValoremFirst, t.i. dynamic facades and CITB, the event at the Technology & Innovation Centre at the University of Strathclyde, was also addressed by top speakers structured around four key sector priorities.

Event coordinator Paul McDevitt opened proceedings by sharing with delegates the huge demand for a Scottish sector event, and was swiftly followed by Alan Smith, managing director of headline sponsors SPI Piling, who thanked attendees as the event ran through its busy morning programme.

Kicking off the themed discussions, Mark Farmer delivered his interesting take on the current commercial model, while Professor Bill Minnis, Emeritus Professor and Interim Dean, School of Business, Stockton University, New Jersey, brought his inimitable style to proceedings, drawing on his long and varied experience, including banking and cattle ranching, to highlight common leadership traits.

Up next was Peter Reekie, chief executive of Scottish Futures Trust, who spoke on behalf of the Construction Leadership Forum about the importance of the Scottish Construction Accord.

With workforce challenges at the forefront, Professor Steve Petrie, head of commercial transformation at Evelyn Partners, and Alan Tait, director of Tait HR, provided unique perspectives on attracting and keeping talent in the sector.

On sustainability, Anne Johnstone, ESG director at Vital Energi, challenged the sector to move away from ambitious climate pledges towards credible, practical action, before Jocelyne Fleming, the policy & public affairs officer - Scotland at the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), shared insights from ‘Harnessing Scotland’s Social Housing Expertise’, a research project that highlighted how the Scottish Government can support the social housing sector to reach its retrofit targets.

Graham H. Stewart, CEO & founder of Digital Guerrilla Consultancy Ltd, delivered an interesting take on construction’s digital transformation journey through the prism of the adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM), and then Wholus co-founder Gordon Mitchell paved the way for companies to benefit from the inevitable proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the sector.

SEC set for Scottish Construction Summit 2026

Closing the event, SCN editor Kieran Findlay shared an announcement that an expanded Scottish Construction Summit will take place next year on October 22 at the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow.

“I’d like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has contributed to making today such a success,” he told delegates.

“From the talented team at SCN, to all the exhibitors and sponsors - your support has been invaluable in bringing this event to life.

“To Mark Farmer and all our speakers, your insights and expertise have ensured that delegates leave with valuable calls to action to push the industry forward.”

He added: “Such was the demand for a construction event of this type in Scotland, we’re pleased to announce that we’ll be taking the Scottish Construction Summit to the SEC next year. This will give us the space to welcome even more exhibitors, host more talks, and create greater opportunities for networking and collaboration across the industry.”

SCN commercial director Raymond Carr added: “This year’s Summit has been a clear success. The conversations, connections and insights have underlined what Scotland’s construction industry needs now more than ever. A big thank you to our headline sponsor SPI Piling and our event sponsors McLaughlin & Harvey, Valorem First, TI Dynamic Facades and CITB. Their support has been central to making the day possible.

“The turnout and discussion around themes like sustainability, digitalisation, recruitment and retention show there is strong appetite for this kind of industry gathering. With that momentum behind us, we are excited to be moving to the SEC in 2026. This will give us room to grow the agenda, expand exhibition space and welcome even more voices from across Scotland’s built environment, from SMEs to larger contractors and housing associations to policy makers, so we can continue pushing for change together.”

Anyone interested in sponsorship and exhibition opportunities can contact raymond@scottishnews.com.

Professional images from the day, courtesy of Jeff Holmes Pix, are available to view here.

Those in attendance are encouraged to complete an industry survey and feedback form.