It’s been a challenging period for the construction industry, but the trendlines are positive as we look to the year ahead. Public policy and falling interest rates should bolster housebuilding, and we expect robust demand for mineral wool insulation – evidenced by our investments in UK manufacturing capacity for both glass and rock mineral wool.

What does 2025 look like beyond the numbers? Expect to see the increasing influence of a few major issues shaping construction. Sustainability and the drive to reduce not just operational carbon, but embodied carbon too. The push to reduce building risk via improved construction practices and products.

And of course, real performance.

Too often, finished buildings aren’t as efficient, as quiet or as safe as they were designed to be. Driven by changing regulations and evolving technology, 2025 will be a year of greater scrutiny, more accountability, and an increased focus on closing the performance gap.

How will the construction industry rise to the challenge? Part of the answer lies in a more joined-up supply chain, acting with greater visibility of what happens on site.

When specifiers know certain products aren’t practical to install correctly in typical site conditions, they can adapt their designs. When housebuilders know there’s underperformance on a plot, they can adjust their processes. When merchants know which products perform, they can make tailored recommendations.

Knowing is the key. And that knowledge comes from on-site insights.

Building these feedback loops has long been a priority for Knauf Insulation. Our service offering is increasingly geared towards measuring and monitoring actual performance. And our product innovation is actively informed by what we learn – such as our recent launch of a rainscreen slab with a water-repellent facing in response to observations about exposure time on site. Our merchant customers should expect our product portfolio to continue to evolve to meet changing market needs in the real world.

Through 2025, we should see tangible progress towards a more joined-up construction industry. By closing the gaps across the value chain, we can close the most important gap of all.