The Leviatan Design & Ubitech Constructions group of companies is an important promoter of the digitalisation of the Romanian market. Leviatan Design – a design firm whose motto is “Mind Matter” – has managed to distinguish itself locally through its high adaptability, firmly supported by digitization and automation of internal processes, as well as innovative working methods such as BIM. As for Ubitech Construcții, it is one of the most technologically advanced companies currently active in Romania, which has managed to implement BIM methodology throughout the entire work process in the most important projects carried out at national level. A 100% Romanian owned company, it offers complete services in the field, such as general contracting, design and execution, project management and implementation, specializing in highly complex design & build projects. At the management level, the central concern is the implementation and promotion of new technologies on the Romanian market, in all stages of the project, as well as the realization of sustainable constructions, allowing the intuitive and easy use of Facility Management and Smart Buildings solutions. In the following, Cătălin Podaru – CEO of the two companies – refers to the market, the financial performance and the solutions identified to ensure the best conditions to achieve the strategic objectives.

– Specify the level of turnover achieved by Leviatan Design and Ubitech Constructions in 2022 and the first six months of 2023 and estimate its evolution in 2023.

– In 2022, our group of companies recorded a consolidated turnover of more than 300 million lei, and in mid-2023, the turnover was 160 million lei. At the same time, we estimate that by the end of this year we will exceed last year’s turnover by at least 25%.

– How did the construction business develop in the first six months of 2023 and how do you see it developing by the end of the year, as well as in the near future?

– The construction market developed positively in the first six months of this year and we expect this trend to continue until the end of 2023. We believe that the construction market in Romania currently has the greatest chances of sustainable development, thanks to European funds, including those from the PNRR, and in the outlook for 2024 – 2025, we expect to see major investments in the public sector. At the same time, once the economy and prices have stabilised, we expect an increase in private investment, not only in the residential area, as before, but also in the area of production facilities and energy production projects. However, it should be borne in mind that the Executive’s intention to eliminate tax concessions in the construction sector could create a number of problems for many companies in this sector.

– What are the future directions of action to develop the two companies (investment in equipment, digitisation, new technologies, training of specialists, etc.)? Do you envisage expanding into other sectors?

– Our companies are deeply involved in technological development processes to optimise design and execution flows and increase productivity and quality levels in the projects carried out. In addition, our specialists aim to integrate the artificial intelligence component into workflows to improve all processes and multiply the value of the data generated and make people’s work easier. This fundamental transformation is being achieved with the support of eConfaire, which is part of our group of companies. At the same time, we are working on integrating state-of-the-art equipment into both the design and execution process to create a Digital Twin that contains accurate and complete information about the projects we are working on. In this way, we achieve tangible added value for teams, but especially for clients who want high quality projects in a short time.

– How has the business developed in 2022 and the first half of this year and what are your estimates for 2023 and beyond?

– Our companies growth has been real, thanks to transformational leadership. Thus, we have maintained the balance of an organic development, while carrying out projects with a high degree of complexity, both in the design and execution phases, compared to projects carried out previously. Normally, this progress comes with a lot of pressure on the organisation, but by continuously developing and optimising processes, we have managed to turn it into a beneficial energy. This has allowed us to manage information and resources in an efficient way, keeping the same pace and quality of the completed projects, without delays or other compromises, as usually happens in such situations. In the coming period, we expect the upward trend to continue, given the multiple opportunities in the market, as well as the strengthening of our brand in the perception of clients and collaborators. We therefore expect the quality level of our projects and the speed with which they will be realised to increase, given that the technological infusion that our group of companies has benefited from is of a profoundly transformational nature. We believe that profound transformations in artificial intelligence and robotics, used correctly, are delivering change 10 times faster today than ever before. Our expectations take into account all the current challenges generated by unpredictability, lack of human resources, inflation, as well as legislative changes that directly influence the field in which we operate.

– Comment on the price level of design services in relation to market reality, inflation and workload. How do you expect these to develop in the short term?

– Design prices have also risen due to very high demand, as this is the area where the lack of specialists and structured organisations for complex and large projects is most acutely felt, in a context of very high market demand. However, we believe that the design market in Romania needs to calibrate itself by structuring design organisations and companies to deliver high quality feasibility studies and designs that allow builders to plan and execute quickly and coordinate complex projects. In this way, value and design prices will certainly be valued at a similar level to Western prices, and the current context allows for this development. However, this is a prerequisite for investment in Romania, and design companies must take the first step to demonstrate the quality of their services, without expecting their value to be assessed by default by clients or by executing companies.

Article also available on Construction Agenda >> click here <<