Time, Cost and Quality in Construction | Progetti d'Italia 2026

Time, cost and quality in construction: three interdependent variables whose balance determines the outcome of any building project. This was the focus of a conference held on 21 May at fieramilano Rho as part of Progetti d’Italia 2026, organised by Il Quotidiano Immobiliare. Eng. Giampiero Brioni, alongside Marzia Morena of Politecnico di Milano, Massimo Facchini of HUB Engineering, Matteo Sbrosi of Kervis SGR and Dario Bozzoli of Colombo Costruzioni, joined a discussion that cut across the entire supply chain: academia, finance, contracting and consortia.

A cultural gap before a methodological one

The common thread running through the debate was clear: the tools to manage cost and time already exist, but their effectiveness remains constrained by a more fundamental issue. The disconnect between design and construction continues to produce a fragmented process in which critical issues surface late — often on site — and translate into variations, disputes or compromises on quality. Cost standardisation remains a distant goal, hampered by a structural opacity that makes it difficult even to establish reliable market benchmarks.

The discussion highlighted how this dynamic is not a matter of individual tools or professional roles, but of cultural context: an industry that, despite significant progress over recent decades, still carries deep-rooted mistrust between its actors and a predominantly prescriptive approach to contractual relationships.

Early-stage collaboration and process governance

Several speakers converged on a key point: bringing all relevant competencies — design, construction, economic — to the table in the early stages of the process can significantly reduce downstream risk. BIM was recognised as a major contribution in this regard, not only as a technical tool but as a framework that compels cross-disciplinary engagement, challenging self-referential working practices.

The conversation also addressed governance as a frequently underestimated factor: structured control and reporting systems, deployed from the earliest project stages, were identified as prerequisites for detecting issues in time and safeguarding investments. A shift from penalty-based to incentive-based contractual mechanisms emerged as a potential lever to align stakeholder interests and foster genuine cooperation.

Attracting tomorrow’s professionals

The final part of the discussion turned to the sector’s medium-term sustainability. Public perception of the construction industry remains unfavourable, the appeal of technical professions linked to the built environment is declining, and demographic trends are further shrinking the pool of potential professionals. The debate underscored the persistent gap between academic training and industry practice, while also acknowledging promising efforts to bridge it through direct integration of university programmes and live construction sites.

Compared to a few decades ago, cross-functional roles such as the Project Manager have become established and the level of required specialisation has grown considerably. Yet the panel’s consensus was unanimous: there is no single solution. The industry needs to make this work appealing again — a process already underway, but one that demands a shared cultural shift across the entire supply chain.