According to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, or Freddie Mac, the housing shortage in America is serious. In 2018, the Corporation estimated the US housing shortage to be 2.5 million units, but this shortage grew to 3.8 million units at the end of 2020. The situation in Europe is similar, with German sources forecasting housing supply shortages in 35 cities by 2030.
Complicating the shortages are a major problem: labor, more specifically the shortage of skilled trades necessary for home construction.
One solution is automation, and robot maker ABB has announced a collaboration with Porsche Consulting to create a pilot project to develop new techniques for modular housing manufacturing. The market is wide open, with construction lagging other engineering sectors in the use of automation.
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