Mayor participates in panel at the second edition of the Rio Construction Summit

Until Friday, more than 270 national and international experts will conduct a broad reflection on the future of the sector - Marcelo Piu/City of Rio

Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes participated in a panel this Wednesday (September 24th) at the second edition of the Rio Construction Summit, an event organized by the Rio de Janeiro State Construction Industry Union (SindusconRio). Until Friday (September 26th), Warehouse 3 at Mauá Pier, in the Port Zone, will host more than 270 national and international experts for a broad reflection on the future of the sector. The program includes more than 72 activities, including panels, roundtables, lectures, and workshops, which will take place simultaneously in five different arenas. In total, there will be more than 100 hours of content related to the challenges, innovations, and trends in the sector.

Eduardo Paes debated with the mayors of Buenos Aires (ARG), Jorge Macri, and Porto Alegre (RS), Sebastião Melo, and with the Secretary of Economic Development of Mexico City, Manola Zabalza, in the panel “Challenges and Urban Solutions for Metropolises”.

"This is a very important meeting, bringing Rio's leading role to the construction sector. It's a meeting that brings an industry that's crucial to Brazil's economy. Bringing it to Rio provides a platform for debate, a fundamental focal point for our city. We've been innovating here; the last three or four years have been exceptional for the sector. We'll keep working hard. The city of Rio has much to teach, but it also has much to learn from this event, which involves an economic activity that generates significant employment and wealth," stated Eduardo Paes.

Over the three days of the Rio Construction Summit 2025, other important topics will be addressed, such as increasing productivity in the sector; reducing the housing deficit; and improving the country's infrastructure; as well as environmental, social, and corporate governance solutions to raise the industry's sustainability standards. Also under discussion will be the sector's structural challenges regarding financing, licensing processes, labor shortages, professional training and qualifications, and career development.

The digital transformation that the construction industry has been undergoing in recent years is another prominent topic and will be present not only in the discussions but also in the presentation of case studies by national and international experts. There will be discussions on the use of artificial intelligence in building production, the fabrication of houses with 3D-printed materials, and the creation of intelligent digital models for project management using the BIM (Building Information Modeling) methodology, among other technologies.

Participants in this edition include government officials from various spheres, industry leaders, builders, businesspeople, entrepreneurs, and professionals from various specialties who are part of the sector's production chain.

The speakers also include 14 international guests from countries such as England, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, France, Denmark, Colombia, China, and the United States. These speakers will feature internationally recognized businesspeople, managers, professors, and researchers who will contribute to enriching the discussions and the exchange of experiences among participants.

Among them are E. Sung-Yi, a South Korean-born, US-based architect and a global leader in sustainable urban planning and architecture, and David Barco, a Spaniard specializing in digital transformation and Building Information Modeling (BIM). Also participating are Colombian anthropologist Santiago Uribe Rocha, who made Medellín a global benchmark in social innovation, and Shelley Bontje, a Dutch expert in active mobility and urban development, among others.

Parallel to the debates, the Inter-American Federation of the Construction Industry (FIIC) meeting will be held on the 25th and 26th. This meeting comprises National Chambers of the Construction Industry from 18 Latin American and Caribbean countries. Brazil is represented by the Brazilian Chamber of the Construction Industry (CBIC). The 54th Regular Meeting of the Forum of the Council of Architecture and Urbanism/UF will also be held on the 26th.

And on the 26th, the winners of the seven categories of the 2025 Firjan Sustainability Award will be announced, with a total of 185 projects submitted. Also announced will be the winners among the 150 entries of the IEL Construction Talent Award, which recognizes transformative ideas and projects from interns, scholarship holders, and young apprentices from companies and educational institutions.

The Rio Construction Summit 2025

The Rio Construction Summit 2025 is organized by SindusconRio, with a presentation by the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Firjan); strategic partnership with the Brazilian Chamber of the Construction Industry (CBIC), National Union of the Heavy Construction Industry-Infrastructure (Sinicon), Sistema Indústria and Inter-American Federation of the Construction Industry (FIIC); master sponsorship by the City of Rio/Invest.Rio and the Government of the State of Rio de Janeiro; sponsorship by Sebrae, Confea and CREA-RJ; Caixa as official bank; Águas do Rio as partner; CAU/RJ, Light and Project Management Institute as supporters.

The first edition was held in 2023, also at Píer Mauá, with more than 10 thousand participants.