As Australia’s construction sector faces pressure to deliver more complex projects with tighter budgets, compressed timelines and ongoing workforce constraints, the Construction Technology Leaders Summit 2026 will focus on how technology can support project delivery today.
Taking place on 28 to 29 October at Doltone House, Darling Island, Sydney, the summit will bring together contractors, developers, infrastructure owners, digital engineering leaders and technology providers from across the industry.
Rather than focusing on future possibilities, the summit will look at how businesses are moving beyond pilots and proofs of concept to understand what is delivering results on projects today. Topics will include AI-powered planning and forecasting, digital engineering, connected construction sites, robotics, automation, data-driven decision-making and technology adoption strategies.
One of the themes emerging from the summit’s speaker line-up is the need to separate technology hype from operational reality.
In a recent interview ahead of the event, Nathan Kirchner, founding partner of Robotics Australia Group and vice president of Zabidou, argued that the future of robotics in construction would not be defined by spectacular demonstrations or humanoid machines replacing workers. Instead, he said the greatest value would come from practical improvements that remove friction from everyday tasks and enhance existing workflows.
Kirchner believes organisations can become distracted by what robotics could potentially achieve instead of focusing on applications that can deliver operational benefits now. He points to automation projects where relatively small interventions produced downstream benefits, reducing rework, improving efficiency and creating safer work environments.
His message for construction leaders evaluating technology investments is that innovation does not need to be revolutionary to deliver transformative outcomes.
Another speaker, Alan Dunn, managing director and co-founder of Cintech, brings a similar perspective to AI.
According to Dunn, some of the most useful AI applications are not about replacing people. They are helping project teams reduce administrative tasks, access information more efficiently and make decisions based on trusted project data.
Construction projects generate large volumes of information across drawings, RFIs, emails, meeting minutes and project management systems. Dunn argues that AI can help teams navigate and connect these fragmented data sources, supporting faster decision-making and earlier identification of project risks.
He also argues that organisations should start with business problems, not technology solutions. Projects seeing results are those focused on solving specific operational challenges and embedding AI into existing workflows.
Looking ahead, Dunn sees AI, robotics, drones and intelligent systems working together to improve project visibility, automate repetitive processes and provide real-time insights, while leaving critical judgement and decision-making in the hands of people.
Technology implementation is rarely a challenge solved in isolation. Whether organisations are exploring AI adoption, scaling digital engineering capabilities, integrating project data environments or evaluating robotics solutions, there are lessons to be gained from peers that have already worked through the process.
The summit will feature more than 30 speakers, alongside networking functions, interactive discussions and roundtable sessions that will give attendees the opportunity to discuss successes, lessons learned, implementation challenges and organisational buy-in.
Attendees will meet representatives from organisations including CPB Contractors, John Holland, Built, Seymour Whyte, Multiplex, Laing O’Rourke, ACCIONA, Downer, Fulton Hogan, BESIX Watpac, ICON Construction, Sydney Metro, Transport for NSW, McNab, Boeing, CIMIC Group, DPR Construction, WSP, Aurecon, Hansen Yuncken, BildGroup, McConnell Dowell, Sydney Water, GHD, BMD Group, DT Infrastructure and Southbase Group.
View the Construction Technology Leaders Summit 2026 agenda and register to attend.
