Could robotics in construction offer a solution to the housing shortage in Europe?
Monumental, a Dutch startup, is making waves in the construction industry by developing a suite of autonomous, electric robots for construction sites. These robots are designed to handle real-world construction complexities, addressing the need for automation to overcome labor shortages and inefficiencies in construction.
The company's mission is to make construction primarily software-defined, focusing on automation as a means to streamline the construction process. Monumental's approach involves starting automation efforts directly on construction sites, handling the variability and messiness inherent in these environments. This approach positions them as a front-runner among Dutch startups integrating robotics with construction to improve productivity on-site.
The Future of Construction
Looking ahead, prefabricated and modular construction is projected to expand significantly, with prefab methods expected to account for around half of new residential builds by 2030 in the Netherlands. This growth is driven by severe housing pressures, labor constraints, and a political push for sustainability and circular economy principles. Monumental’s robotics integration aligns with this national trend to systematize factory and on-site building methods, combining digital twins, AI, robotics, and recycled materials to optimize build quality and environmental compliance.
Salar al Khafaji at our website Conference
Salar al Khafaji, CEO and co-founder of Monumental, will be sharing his tips on building a thriving robotics business at the our website Conference on June 19-20 in Amsterdam. Tickets for the conference are now on sale, with a discount code available.
Al Khafaji founded Monumental in 2021 with Sebastiaan Visser, who serves as the company's CTO. Since then, Monumental's robots have built facades for houses, canal retaining walls, and other structures across the Netherlands. In 2023, the company raised $25mn in seed funding and completed its first large-scale, 15-metre wall.
Monumental's electric bricklayer robots work autonomously alongside humans, using sensors, computer vision, and small cranes to precisely lay bricks and mortar in walls. The system integrates with existing construction processes, a crucial requirement in an industry that isn't always open to new technologies. AI coordinates the tasks of Monumental's robots, accounting for a third of the tasks on a construction site.
Addressing the Housing Crisis
The productivity collapse in construction, due to labor shortages, strict regulations, and high costs, is worsening the housing crisis. Monumental aims to fill the labor gap in the construction industry and strengthen the supply of affordable housing. Al Khafaji believes automation can overcome labor, cost, and regulatory hurdles in the construction industry.
In 2022, researchers found that 19 European countries had a shortage of bricklayers, making it the occupation with the biggest labor scarcity. This scarcity, combined with the physically demanding and dangerous nature of bricklaying, has led Monumental to focus on this task as their first finished system.
In summary, Monumental is actively piloting and deploying robotic systems for on-site construction tasks such as bricklaying and material transport, working toward software-defined and automated construction processes. These efforts are part of a larger national and European trend to industrialize and digitize construction through prefab methods, robotics, AI, and sustainability initiatives, with the Dutch market moving toward half of all new housing being prefab by 2030. Monumental aims to be a key player in this transformation by continuing to innovate and scale on-site automation.
- The Dutch startup Monumental, known for their autonomous, electric robots in the construction industry, is preparing to discuss entrepreneurship strategies in the realm of robotics at the our website Conference in Amsterdam on June 19-20.
- The future of construction may significantly lean towards prefabricated and modular methods, with Monumental's robotics integration aligning with these trends, as the Dutch market is projected to have half of all new housing built through prefab methods by 2030.
- Monumental's electric bricklayer robots, working autonomously alongside humans, are tasked with addressing the housing crisis by filling the labor gap in the construction industry, making housing supply more affordable.
- The robust integration of digital twins, AI, robotics, and recycled materials in Monumental's construction approach aims to optimize build quality and environmental compliance, contributing to sustainability and circular economy principles.
- In addition to the housing market and real-estate sector, Monumental's technology extends over to personal growth, education-and-self-development, as Salar al Khafaji, CEO and co-founder of Monumental, shares insights on building a thriving robotics business.
- Looking beyond the housing-market sector, the impact of Monumental's technology can be seen in various domains, including finance, business, technology, and artificial-intelligence, as AI coordinates tasks on construction sites, reducing inefficiencies and bridging the gaps caused by labor shortages.
