Vitus ONSIGHT · 2026 Projection Report
The State of Data, AI & Digital Transformation in Construction
We surveyed 100 BIM and VDC leaders across 21 European countries. The findings reveal an industry in transition, grappling with foundational challenges while looking toward an AI-enabled future.
01 — The State of Data Confidence
The Industry's Relationship with Its Data Is Complicated
When asked how confident they were that their project data remained consistent across systems, the average score landed at 6.7 out of 10. Not catastrophic, but hardly reassuring for the information driving million-euro decisions.
Where confidence breaks down
Working with data is not standardised and therefore very complex.
Confidence by Budget Size
Mega-projects score lowest. Mid-range projects report highest confidence. Scale amplifies data challenges rather than resolving them.
Confidence by Project Type
Metro/railway projects report the lowest confidence at 5.2/10. Water infrastructure leads at 8.3. Complexity drives the gap.
The scale paradox: Projects in the €2-10M and €100-500M ranges report confidence of 7.0-7.3/10, while mega-projects over €500M drop to 6.0/10. The organisations with the most resources and the most to lose report the least confidence in their data.
6.7/10 raises a simple question
A confidence score of 6.7 out of 10 suggests that data consistency cannot be assumed. Sometimes standards are missing. Sometimes they exist but are unevenly applied. In both cases, the result is variation. Mega-projects make this especially visible. Complexity does not create inconsistency, it reveals whether governance holds under pressure. The more relevant question may be this: are data compliance procedures integrated into the schedule for BIM deliverables? If compliance is not part of the timeline, it becomes secondary. And secondary priorities rarely reach full confidence.
02 — Where Data Friction Occurs
If There's One Place Where Data Goes to Die, It's the Handover
65% of respondents identified the design-to-construction interface as a major friction point, making it the single most problematic transition in the project lifecycle83 % of client/owner respondents report this frictiom..
Friction by Organization Type
Where you sit determines what pain you feel. Designers report 89% design-construction friction. Consultants feel software systems most (65%).
Low vs High Confidence: Friction Patterns
Those with low data confidence report nearly double the software friction (68% vs 36%). Poor data and poor tools feed each other.
If friction keeps happening, why does it keep happening?
65% report friction between design and construction. Among client/owner respondents, the figure rises to 83%. Some of that friction comes from uneven QA. Some of it comes from requirements that can be interpreted differently. But when the same issues appear at handover again and again, it is worth asking ourselves: are we clear enough about what is required, and why it is required? And when data is incomplete or misaligned, does it lead to consequences for those responsible for delivering it?
03 — Project Delays & Communication Gaps
The Human Factor
Communication with non-BIM stakeholders scores a mere 3.2 out of 5. BIM's value isn't measured by how well it serves specialists, but by how well it enables everyone else.
3.2/5 Communication Score
Tools for communicating with non-BIM users rated poorly. The data exists, but stakeholders can't access or understand it.
63% Face Decision Delays
Nearly two-thirds report project decisions delayed due to unreliable BIM data. 14% say "very often." The largest projects (€500M+) show the highest delay rate at 24%.
Skills Gap Persists
35% cite "lack of internal skills" as a top barrier. Teams are tool-rich but training-poor.
Cultural Resistance
From "dinosaurs" to "people who don't want to change", adoption isn't just a software problem, it's an organizational one.
What would you change with a magic wand?
"Inconsistency. People name the same thing in 500 different ways."
BIM Manager, Sweden
"Get rid of all contractors that still work on papers."
BIM Coordinator, Ireland
"Eliminate all breaks between systems, disciplines, and data formats."
BIM Manager, Germany
"Communication with non-BIM users is still very difficult. Most project information is scattered across tens of thousands of documents."
BIM Strategy Lead, France
The budget paradox continues: Small projects (<€2M) and mega-projects (€500M+) are most affected by delays, but for different reasons. Small projects lack governance structures. Mega-projects have them but can't enforce consistency across hundreds of stakeholders. The €10-100M mid-market shows the lowest delay rate (44%), possibly the sweet spot where teams are large enough to have processes but small enough to enforce them.
Are we rushing past reliability?
63% report occasional or frequent delays due to unreliable BIM data. Projects rarely stop, but decisions often slow down. Unreliable does not always mean incorrect. Sometimes the data is there, but it is not structured or presented in a way that supports decision-making. In the push to meet milestones, validation and clarity can become secondary. The model progresses, yet confidence does not. When decisions require clarification calls, manual checks, or additional explanations, time is already lost. The delay does not begin when a decision is questioned. It begins when reliability and clarity were not secured earlier.
04 — The Tool Landscape
3 Out of 4 Use Revit. Excel Still Won't Die.
Revit's dominance is overwhelming: 77% of respondents use it. ACC leads as CDE at 63%. And Excel remains stubbornly essential. Half list spreadsheets as a critical data source. Every Excel workaround represents a gap in the digital workflow.
Common Data Environments
Critical Data Sources
When visualization works, do we stop asking how?
Turning model data into dashboards often requires a chain of tools, exports from Revit, connectors, visualization platforms, and frequently Excel to reshape or enrich information along the way. These workflows are usually built and maintained by a specialist who understands how the pieces fit together. Once the data is visualized, the objective seems met. But how often do organizations step back and ask whether the flow itself is optimal, or whether it has simply become dependent on one person's expertise? When the setup works, it is rarely questioned. Yet dependence can grow quietly behind the scenes.
05 — The AI Reality Check
The AI Reality Check
AI adoption is emerging, but selectively. While 34% report no AI adoption yet, 43% are using document copilots. The most requested AI application isn't generative design but instead data validation and quality checking. Professionals want AI to handle the grunt work.
The Reality
The Dream
What's holding AI back?
AI Adoption by Budget
€100-500M projects lead at 67%. Smallest projects lag at 33%. Budget correlates with AI experimentation, not with confidence.
AI Adoption by Organization
Consultants lead adoption (62%), followed by contractors (59%). Designers trail at 33%, perhaps reflecting different workflow needs.
AI adoption reflects caution, not resistance
Adoption is emerging, but selectively. Document copilots are common. High-impact production use cases are rare. Professionals are not asking AI to redesign construction. They are asking it to validate data, search specifications, and reduce manual effort. At the same time, integration challenges and security concerns remain significant barriers. The pattern suggests pragmatism. AI is being tested where risk is low and value is tangible, not where systems, governance, and data maturity are still evolving.
06 — Top Priorities for 2026
Integration Before Innovation
When asked about their top digital priority for the next 12 months, respondents revealed a focus on fundamentals over innovation. The message: fix the foundation before building the penthouse.
Why do fundamentals keep topping the list?
Integration, standards, and governance once again rank above advanced automation and innovation. That may reflect maturity. But it may also raise a broader question. Is there a structural challenge in how the industry collaborates, one that repeatedly forces attention back to alignment and coordination? When projects are fragmented across contracts, disciplines, and systems, integration becomes a recurring priority rather than a solved problem. If the foundation must constantly be repaired, innovation will always be sequenced behind it.
07 — The 2027 Vision
What Will Be Standard by 2027?
Respondents showed measured optimism about specific capabilities while remaining skeptical of broader transformation. VDC leads are most optimistic about real-time sync (67%), while construction engineers strongly favor automated progress tracking (80%).
If real-time sync is expected, who is moving toward it?
Many expect near real-time data synchronization to become standard within two years. The technology already exists in various forms. The question is whether organizations are actively seeking tools and setups that enable it, or whether they expect their current platforms to evolve and eventually deliver it. Belief in a capability does not automatically translate into action. If real-time collaboration is truly a priority, it may require deliberate choices, not just patience.
Geographic Spread
A European Perspective
100 responses across 21 countries, with Nordic nations forming the core. Denmark leads at 28%, followed by Germany (12%), Netherlands (9%), and Sweden (8%). The wider European representation — Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Italy, France — provides continental European perspectives.
Professionals want data integration, system interoperability, and reliable workflows more than they want AI, automation, or advanced analytics. The path forward isn't more software. It's better foundations.