The Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning

Research Project: Company succession in the construction industry

Project briefing

  • Status Completed
  • Project duration October 2020 – March 2022
  • Programme Future Building

According to estimates, around 190,000 family businesses in Germany will be handed over between 2022 and 2026. Until now, it was unknown how many of the nearly 389,000 companies in the construction industry will be facing the issue of succession in the coming years. Therefore, the research project aimed to investigate the succession process in the construction industry in general and the main construction trades and finishing trades.

Background

The construction industry is an essential pillar of the German economy, both in its contribution to the gross domestic product and its contribution as an employer. The observed increase in the age of company owners indicates that more and more companies in the construction industry are facing the issue of succession. This raises the question of whether there a enough people available who are willing and able to take on these forthcoming takeovers. If this were not the case, the closure of these companies could not be ruled out. This could lead to limitations for construction projects throughout Germany unless they are replaced in the short term by new companies.

Objective

The study aimed to portray current and future succession activity in the construction industry and derive conclusions for future developments. The research project comprised an extensive literature analysis, discussions with experts and a representative survey of companies in the construction industry. Differentiated analyses and estimates make it possible to project the development of the construction industry into the future. In addition, recommended courses of action are derived for the various stakeholders.

Contractors of the project were the Institut für Mittelstandsforschung (IfM) Bonn and DIW Econ GmbH, Berlin.

Contact us

  • Stefan Rein
    Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development
    Division WB 4 "Digital Transformation of the Construction Industry"
    Phone: +49 228 99401-1349
    Email: stefan.rein@bbr.bund.de

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