15 March 2024
Interview with CEPCO President, Luis Rodulfo
This call, which will be held from November 5 to 8, 2024 at IFEMA MADRID seeks to join forces with the union of these four fairs. And on this occasion he interviews the president of CEPCO, Luis Rodulfo.
How important is it for CEPCO to be present at CONSTRUTEC? And how would you describe the importance of CONSTRUTEC for the construction industry in Spain?
CEPCO [Spanish Confederation of Construction Product Manufacturer Associations] is an entity that has been collaborating with the CONSTRUTEC for over 25 years now. We see it as a great meeting point for all the stakeholder in the sector, from construction sector influencers to developers, builders, quality control bodies, administrations and, of course, the product manufacturers who keep the fair going.
The trade fair is not only a meeting point but is also a shop window for major developments and innovations across the construction industry. Each edition is a challenge to answer the big questions in the industry and construction in general.
What is your overall assessment of the construction industry in Spain at the moment?
Our industry is going through an excellent period. Not only because of its fantastic ability to respond to the needs imposed by legislation, buyers and users, together with its international reputation, but also because it is always one step ahead in terms of innovation, research and development, quality control, sustainability and decarbonisation, etc. As representative organisations, we try to take the lead on these concepts in the industry, but ultimately, it is the companies that demonstrate their commitment to these standards year after year. 60 billion euros between domestic consumption and exports make our industry a national and international power.
What role do events like CONSTRUTEC play in promoting the industry and generating business opportunities for the construction industry?
A 21st century trade fair transcends the template of what these events used to be. We have to be much more flexible, especially in terms of participants at the fair and how we get ideas and concepts across. Trade fairs serve a purpose if they deliver the right messages and filter out the enormous noise brought by interests of legitimate and not so legitimate kinds.
With regard to the creation of opportunities, CEPCO contributed at the time, with representations to the State Secretariate for Trade to consider CONSTRUTEC an international trade fair. This is a key element for the industry: to promote itself, directly and in person, to a large group of foreign professionals who come to see the spectacular progress in design together with the proven quality of each service.
What do you see as the main challenges facing the construction industry in Spain today, and how can CEPCO help address them?
Sustainability, digitalisation, decarbonisation, industrialised construction are essential elements for any respectable fair, but for any event that tries to live up to the philosophy of a world-leading industry that has always given unmistakable signs in this sense.
That said, we are no longer at the quality advances of decades ago. Investments in the decarbonisation of our industry, both in process and product, must find a positive response from architects, developers, builders and administrations. Otherwise, it will be a wasted effort leading the industry to outsourcing. Market surveillance is not only an element that protects some manufacturers over others; it really protects the citizen who, above all, must be assured that what they are buying is reliable, of high quality, safe, environmentally friendly and cost-efficient in terms of energy efficiency. Contractually, we must ensure that everyone involved in construction does it well. In other words, we must abandon speculation model and embrace the model of quality.
CEPCO renews its commitment to these concepts and to the public. If you have any suggestions on how we can improve, please bring them forward: feedback will be well-received, analysed and implemented if possible. CONSTRUTEC combines two qualities: presenting the most advanced ideas whilst also showing the reality of product performance to tens of thousands of people live and hundreds of thousands through media.