Report from the CONTECH Conference, Where Competitiveness Is Born – with Innovation in Focus

Proptech.hu – report on the panel discussion at the CONTECH Conference held in Balatonfüred

Competitiveness in the construction industry does not stem solely from technological development, but from an ecosystem capable of transforming new ideas into real value – this was the starting point of the professional panel discussion moderated by Zoltán Kalmár, founder of Proptech.hu, at the CONTECH Conference in Balatonfüred.

What is innovation – and how does it become competitiveness?

The very first question of the discussion revealed how diverse the concept of “innovation” truly is. According to Sándor Benkei, innovation is “broad in meaning – it can be a new theory, tool, work method or invention”, but it only becomes the engine of competitiveness if its introduction and application are carried out consciously.

Dr. Dániel Gosztola approached the topic from the perspective of technical innovations: new technologies, materials and methods do not emerge for their own sake, but to increase cost-effectiveness, sustainability and efficiency. He mentioned as examples the development of underwater shell-element substructures and the prefabrication of composite structures – solutions that already provide measurable competitive advantage today.

Péter Tamás Racskó explained through an international example how innovation emerges when real market demand, research background and corporate implementation meet. In a Toronto skyscraper project, the collaboration between the contractor and the university not only created new technological solutions but also generated educational value – a model he believes is worth following in the Hungarian innovation ecosystem as well.

Réka Zsófia Pap emphasized the importance of process and organizational innovation: “Innovation is not novelty but advantage – if it brings real value, efficiency and development.” She added that to achieve market competitiveness, companies must not only apply new technologies but also renew their operations and organizational culture.

Zoltán Varga expanded on this thought by saying that for him, innovation primarily means creating new forms of cooperation. “Real competitiveness is born where professional, organizational and community knowledge converge – where the project manager is not only an executor but the engine of change.”

Technology, people, collaboration – three pillars for one goal

In the second part of the panel discussion, the conversation focused on the factors of competitiveness, technological lag and value-creating innovations. Participants agreed that technology alone is not enough – it requires an open organizational culture, supported experimentation and long-term thinking.

From the state side, Péter Racskó highlighted that the goal of the NKFIH is not only to support R&D, but also to facilitate the scalability of innovations. “The real challenge is how research results become marketable products or services – innovations can only live on if they integrate into the bloodstream of the economy.”

In corporate practice, according to Réka Zsófia Pap, the lean approach best supports process development and the spread of a culture that learns from mistakes. “Innovation can only be sustainable if it becomes part of daily operations, treated not as a project but as a mindset.”

Sándor Benkei added that one key to competitiveness in the construction industry is Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), where parties contract for shared goals and, alongside risk-sharing, also share in the results. This, in his view, increases not only efficiency but also trust and collaboration.

Dr. Dániel Gosztola emphasized the relationship between universities and companies as a critical element of the innovation chain: “We must build a bridge between education and practice – future engineers should already participate in projects today where innovation creates tangible results.”

The competitiveness of the future is born in collaboration

At the end of the panel, participants summarized in one sentence where they believe competitiveness is born.

The answers differed, but the common denominator was clear:
technology is only a tool; true competitive advantage is created through collaboration, knowledge-sharing and open thinking.

“Real competitiveness is born where new ideas become tangible in projects – where innovation is not a goal but a mode of operation.” – summarized Zoltán Kalmár, adding: “According to the insights from the discussion, innovation in the construction industry can only become a true driver of growth in Hungary if technological development, the human side and the culture of collaboration reinforce one another.”

Thus, the competitiveness of the future is not born in the laboratory, nor in the tender documents, but where professions, institutions and generations think together – and implement change together.

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