Constructive Voices: The Podcast Platform For The Gulf’s Construction Industry

The Gulf construction industry, similar to other parts of the world was impacted in 2020 by the global COVID-19 pandemic, with the added challenge of low oil prices, but now the sector in this region is expected to bounce back this year. It is evident that industry players are helping the construction sector to recover quickly, by speeding up the use of new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), drones, and technologies that improve efficiency.

Recognizing the growth of the Gulf’s construction industry, along with the relevance and popularity of podcasts, a new podcast platform, Constructive Voices has cleverly combined the two to bring the latest construction industry stories from around the world to this region. All the podcasts by Constructive Voices aim to inspire positive change; creating the best conversations with industry leaders and change-makers, on topics shaping the sector from the economy to sustainability, social good, mental and physical health, and diversity and inclusion.

Constructive Voices has a strong, talented team of diverse experts behind it, which includes Peter Finn, Ireland’s favourite TV builder; Henry McDonald, top investigative journalist; Jackie De Burca, author and award-winning podcaster; and Steve Randall, radio presenter, and podcast trainer. Together, they understand what stories are key, which is why this latest episode investigates how technology is helping the construction industry to increase its efficiency.

The entire business landscape has entered into a digital revolution and construction is no exception. Construction firms are implementing several solutions from cloud-based software to improving workflow to the utilization of drones for more accurate, efficient site visits. As technologies become more financially accessible and user-friendly, builders – both large and small – are embracing these new tools.

This cutting-edge episode of Constructive Voices explores AI; technology that is being adopted by different sectors, from auto manufacturing to consumer products, including one of the world's largest industries – construction! You will hear from leaders in this space - Stanford Professor and ALICE Technologies, CEO René Morkos, who offers great insight into how AI is being used to build big structures that range from airports to office towers, and how AI can be used to radically reduce construction costs that overrun.

ALICE Technologies’ vision is to harness AI to reduce the cost of construction by 25 percent globally; a big goal. According to McKinsey & Company, large projects typically take 20 percent longer to finish than scheduled and are up to 80 percent over budget.

René Morkos, CEO, ALICE Technologies says, “Through the smart application of AI, large general contractors can not only schedule their projects more efficiently, but they can also get

them back on track when things go awry. In this podcast conversation, we discuss how AI is helping companies globally to deliver big projects on time and on budget.

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Peter Finn, Ireland’s favourite TV builder says, “The construction industry, is one of the largest contributors to this region’s economy, and it is clear that new technologies will play a key role in the new future of the construction industry – enabling collaboration, data-led decision making and greater control of the value chain. At Construction Voices, we want to empower the industry here with relevant conversations, and this episode with ALICE Technologies does just that with this focus on technology.”

Phil Carpenter, CMO, ALICE Technologies, says, “We are excited to be on Constructive Voices, a podcast that is tackling a diverse set of issues. We welcome this opportunity to connect with the construction community globally and to build enthusiasm for AI with this audience.”

Constructive Voices is proud to have received positive feedback about its podcasts from construction industry leaders, including this one from Guy Woodford, Aggregates Business who says, “A real diversity among the guests, which gives the show pace…Great success story."