{"data":{"news":{"items":[{"title":"How robotics and automation will redefine Singapore’s construction sector: Lessons from Japan","date":"2026-02-04 00:02:18","id":6182,"author":"","blurb":"","blurb_image_uid":"https://dxfpracgmlczp.cloudfront.net/2026/02/1770098638923_IMG_1452 copy.jpg","blurb_expanded_image_uid":null,"article":"\n\t\n\n\n

The use of robotics and automation (R&A) technologies in Singapore, such as the painting robots and autonomous tower crane for public housing projects, shows how far the local construction industry has come. These advanced solutions are changing the way contractors build, significantly improving productivity, safety and sustainability on the jobsite.

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This year, Singapore’s construction demand is projected to stay strong, reaching S$47-53 billion, and an average of S$39-46 billion is expected over the medium term. “It’s a pretty high number for us, which means there’s going to be a lot of activities going on, but also many opportunities for us to raise productivity, drive sustainability, digitalisation, etc,” said Jonathan Cheng, chief technological officer at the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) during the Construction Innovation Forum 2026.

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The Forum, held on 23 January at the BCA Academy Braddell Campus, was organised by BCA in partnership with Takenaka Corporation, Aktio Corporation and the RX Consortium. Besides attending the seminar, participants were also able to see a variety of Japanese construction innovations and R&A technologies, including a tower crane remote control system, curtain wall installation machine, material handling equipment, cleaning and marking robots, and indoor drones, to name a few.

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“There will be some support for companies to adopt these solutions,” said Mr Chen, referring to the new tranche of Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) that was recently announced by Singapore’s Minister for National Development. The grant has been expanded to incorporate advanced equipment such as R&A, and will be available from 1 April 2026.

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At the Forum, a number of Japanese companies shared their experiences and insights on adopting R&A solutions and discussed the future of the technologies. (Scroll down to the bottom to view a quick video and more photos of the event).

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Industry transformation through collaboration

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Like Singapore, Japan’s construction industry is currently facing critical challenges. Among them are severe labour shortages and ageing workforce demographics, high physical demands and safety risks in construction work, increasing project complexity and quality requirements, pressure for faster delivery and cost efficiency, and the need for sustainable and environmentally responsible construction, shared Kotaro Nara, senior manager for construction planning at Takenaka’s Asia regional headquarters.

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To help solve these challenges, “the construction industry needs to move away from the ‘3D’s’ – demanding, dirty and dangerous – and transform into a workplace that offers highly productive, attractive and rewarding work,” said Rikuta Murakami, senior executive managing officer and chief technology and digital officer at Takenaka, who is also chairman of RX Consortium.

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Mr Murakami stressed that “to enhance the attractiveness of the construction industry, it is important for everyone to collaborate and work together in a co-creative manner.”

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“Transforming the construction industry cannot be achieved alone,” added Mr Nara. “Designers, builders, robot manufacturers, and startups must come together to form a powerful ecosystem.”

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The collaboration among Japanese construction industry stakeholders is evident in the establishment of RX Consortium, which already has over 300 member companies. These comprise contractors and sub-contractors, rental and machinery companies, trading businesses, and more. They work together to revolutionise the industry through the development of construction robots and digital technologies.

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One innovation from the consortium is the tower crane remote control system ‘TawaRemo’, developed by Takenaka in partnership with Aktio and Kajima Corporation. It aims to provide a better, more comfortable working environment for the crane operators, as they don’t need to climb up to the high-altitude cab.

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By installing the system on compatible tower cranes, the operators can control all functions from a remote cab on the ground. For a short-distance remote operation within the jobsite, it is possible to use a local network such as a wired or Wi-Fi line.

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Mr Nara said the future vision is to operate cranes from outside the construction site, and for this, collaboration with relevant authorities and establishment of regulations (e.g. safety regulation) are important.

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Another innovation is the ‘Advanced Wall Lifter’, introduced Mr Nara. The machine streamlines the installation of curtain walls and other exterior panels. It requires “less workspace, less preparation and less workload” compared to the traditional method.

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Mr Nara also mentioned that deploying digital construction technologies will involve having a new job category on-site, construction robot platform and collaboration with global technology providers.

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“It is our mission to advance robotics technologies in harmony with digital platforms and improve productivity and safety across construction sites,” affirmed Mr Nara.

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Meanwhile, the semi-automated robotic transport dolly ‘Movilo’ has been jointly developed by Aktio, Obayashi Corporation and Sakai Denki. It is available for use in Singapore.

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This robotic dolly features a load capacity of up to 1,000 kg and is easy to control, shared Shigeru Oishi, head of overseas department at Aktio, a global equipment rental company that offers rental and consulting (‘rensulting’) services.

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According to Hajime Onojima, executive officer and head of Technology Research Institute (TRI) at Obayashi, Movilo is “simple to implement, making it an ideal first step towards site robotisation.” The unit is compact and lightweight (270 kg), “allowing it to slide under loads for easy loading. Plus, it is easy to operate with a game-like controller, and can overcome steps on-site and move freely in all directions (360°).”

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Mr Onojima further highlighted Obayashi’s PLiBOT (pliability robotics platform) business, which provides multiple autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for tasks such as transportation, cleaning and security. In addition, it offers a service that centrally manages these robots through a single integrated control platform.

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Obayashi set up its Construction-Tech Lab in Singapore in 2024, serving as the company’s overseas R&D base for the Asian region. It focuses on advanced technologies like 3D printing and R&A, through partnerships with regional industry players and educational institutions.

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Reiterating the importance of collaboration, Mr Onojima said, “To transform the construction industry, we must first transform ourselves – shifting from competition to co-creation (collaborative harmony).”

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Challenges and opportunities

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As R&A technologies are relatively a new area in construction, their application still poses many challenges for contractors. Mr Onojima revealed the gaps found during Obayashi’s robot deployment practices. “It is unclear what checks are considered necessary and sufficient when implementing robots,” he said.

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“Even if certification is not required, the lack of explicit confirmation creates concern at the operational level. Also, design principles suitable for construction robotics are not yet consolidated.”

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With that in mind, Mr Onojima believes a technical reference is needed for construction robot deployment. “We propose forming a working group for the technical reference.”

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During the panel discussion, Xu Xuping, managing director of CTR Holdings Ltd – a Singapore contractor specialising in structural engineering and wet architectural works – talked about challenges and opportunities in the local market.

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Approximately 50% of new BTO (build-to-order) public housing projects in Singapore now utilise automated finishing systems, noted Mr Xu. Examples of such solutions include robots for painting, skimming, tiling and grouting. Semi-autonomous excavators and ‘machine guidance’ cranes are also deployed on some major sites.

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However, several obstacles remain. “Robots are perfectionist, but construction sites are not,” said Mr Xu, calling it a “precision gap”. Bringing robots into a lift is another difficulty. “Think about how hard it is for people to squeeze into a crowded lift; now imagine robots try to do it autonomously.”

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“Robots are also a massive investment and smaller companies feel the financial pinch the most.” For this, Mr Xu shared that CTR has tapped on the BCA grant to help reduce the cost of its robots.

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He added that “we have the robots, but not the ‘pilots’ – there is a massive skills gap in the current workforce. We need to have a trained robot supervisor. Moving forward, I think we need a more digitalised workforce.”

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Lastly, Mr Xu pointed out “the risk of getting hacked. Now that the building sites are connected to the cloud, they have become cybersecurity targets.”

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For Aktio, safety training courses are necessary to ensure proper use of the equipment and prevent site accidents. As robotic technologies increase and their adoption becomes widespread, Mr Oishi encouraged the industry to address laws and regulations in this field.

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“For example, in the case of TawaRemo [tower crane remote control system], it would be very dangerous to simply allow operators with just a tower crane operating licence [to carry out the operation],” said Mr Oishi. “I think we need to discuss initiatives for new qualifications based on systematic training.”

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Exploring the future of R&A technologies, Mr Oishi emphasised that “it is very important to think and nurture this sector from a longer-term perspective. We will continue to work with government agencies, BCA, and the consortium companies to solve any problems and move forward together.”

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“I think the future isn’t being built by robots alone, but it’s being built by firms and companies that know how to use robots, and lead them,” said Mr Xu.

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Note: The new tranche of BCA’s Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) will be available from 1 April 2026. It has been expanded to include advanced equipment such as robotics & automation (R&A). More details here.

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Makati Development Corporation (MDC) and Takenaka Corporation have concluded an agreement to establish a joint venture company in the Philippines, named MDTK Corporation. The launch event to celebrate this milestone was held on 21 March 2024.

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MDC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI), a leading engineering, procurement, construction and construction management (EPCCM) company in the Philippines. ALI is part of the Ayala Group.

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Takenaka is one of the five major general contractors in Japan, offering architectural, engineering and construction services. The company has been involved in various projects in the Philippines, including the construction of Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 and Bacolod-Silay Airport in the 2000s. Currently, through its group company Takenaka Civil Engineering and Construction, it is building the Metro Manila Subway and the Davao City Bypass projects.

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“The MDC community looks forward to collaborating with Takenaka to exchange best design and construction practices and technologies that will benefit both our organisations, the construction industry, and most importantly, the people that we serve. Through MDTK, we look forward to using our combined expertise, learnings and resources to enhance land and enrich the lives of Filipinos,” said Dante M. Abando, SVP of ALI, president and CEO of MDC, and chairman of MDTK.

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“Our company has long held a dream of expanding our operations in the Philippines, focusing on the potential of the country’s future and the trust built on the historical exchange of nationalities and cultures between the two nation,” added Shoichiro Shibuta, executive managing officer of Takenaka Overseas Construction Business. “With shared values and trust, establishing a joint venture with MDC from the Ayala Group, known for their innovative urban development projects in Makati, BGC and nationwide, is a significant honour and we are grateful for it.”

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The joint venture brings together more than 400 years of extensive architecture, engineering and construction experience and expertise to the country. The partnership signals a significant milestone that will open opportunities for the two companies to take on complex design and construction projects, and introduce new technologies and methodologies that will benefit the Philippine construction industry and local people.

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“MDTK will be driven by a vision of becoming the trusted partner of our customers and stakeholders by delivering value-adding solutions through advanced design and build expertise. We aim to create sustainable developments and contribute to nation-building through innovation and technology, construction excellence, and extraordinary teams,” said Robert N. Baffrey, president of MDTK.

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“This is a wonderful opportunity for our teams to integrate best practices into our developments. The MDC-Takenaka partnership will become an avenue to advance more innovative and sustainable solutions that will benefit the communities that we serve, especially at this time when the Philippines is primed for exponential economic growth,” said Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, chairman of Ayala Corporation and ALI.

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Image: Ayala Land

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A joint venture (JV) led by Shimizu Corporation has commenced the excavation of tunnels using the shield tunnelling method on the Philippines’ Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) CP101.

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The tunnel boring machine (TBM) launching ceremony was held earlier this month, on 9 January, attended by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and Jaime Bautista, Secretary of Department of Transportation. Shimizu’s JV partners include Fujita Corporation, Takenaka Civil Engineering & Construction Co Ltd, and EEI Corporation (a major local construction company).

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The MMSP, dubbed the first subway system in the Philippines, aims to alleviate the traffic congestion in Metro Manila due to a rapid population growth in the area. A total of 17 stations and a depot will be constructed along the 33.1-km section connecting Mindanao Avenue in the northern part of Metro Manila to Western Bicutan in the southern part of Metro Manila, where the Ninoy Aquino International Airport is located.

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In its press release, Shimizu said the JV will build the first 7.3-km section of the project – known as CP101 – from the depot to the north Metro Manila. This includes the depot, three stations and six shield tunnels that connect the stations (three northbound and three southbound). The CP101 project is scheduled to be completed in July 2027.

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The design and construction works under the CP101 contract have been divided into three segments, Shimizu further explained. First, the construction of the depot, Tandang Sora station and cut-and-cover tunnel, which was carried out in November 2019. The purpose is to facilitate the surface to underground transition. Second, the structure work for the Quirino Highway station and North Avenue station, which was carried out in March 2020. Lastly, the tunnel construction and the architectural and MEP works for the Quirino Highway station and North Avenue station, which was carried out in December 2021.

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The tunnelling work that has just begun involves the construction of six underground tunnels with a total length of 9.5 km and an inner diameter of 6.1 m, using up to six earth pressure balance (EPB) TBMs. The first two TBMs launched on 9 January were headed from the launching shaft at the depot to the Quirino Highway station. The northbound and southbound tunnels between North Avenue/Tandang Sora stations and Tandang Sora/Quirino Highway stations will be constructed in turn. Moreover, four TBMs will launch and arrive sequentially.

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Shimizu highlighted that, being the first subway construction project in the Philippines, the MMSP has gained much attention from the residents of Metro Manila and is highly anticipated to play a key role in relieving traffic congestion. The project has now reached a major milestone with the launching of the first boring machine, and is expected to reach its peak construction period in the coming years.

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All images: Shimizu

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