World of Modular Europe Agenda
Connecting the Modular Construction Industry in Europe and Around the World
From affordable and attainable housing to sustainable construction practices, modular construction is leading the building industry in solutions for today's global challenges. Join MBI and modular building stakeholders from around the world at this can't-miss World of Modular event.
Don't miss this opportunity to learn from—and connect with—some of the most influential experts in the global modular building industry.
Call for Presentations
Interested in speaking at World of Modular Europe in Amsterdam?
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Day 1 - Opening Address & Reception
5:00pm - 7:00pm Opening Address and Networking Reception with Exhibitors
Session Descriptions
Building the Automation Roadmap for Volumetric Construction
Ola Skoglund, Chief Operating Officer, Randek
As volumetric modular construction scales, manufacturers are turning to automation to boost capacity, improve quality, and reduce reliance on manual labor. Yet automation only delivers strong returns when implemented in the right sequence and supported by a clear product strategy, optimized factory flow, and organizational readiness.
Drawing on lean production and advanced manufacturing expertise, this session delivers a practical, step-by-step automation roadmap for volumetric production. Attendees will gain actionable insights into:Â
- Identifying high-impact opportunities by analyzing bottlenecks, product mix, line configuration, material flow, logistics, skills, and maintenance needs.Â
- Prioritizing automation investments effectively.Â
- Avoiding the common pitfall of automating poorly designed manual processes.Â
- Evolving roles, skills, and leadership to support stable, high-uptime operations.Â
This approach ensures automation translates into measurable long-term business value
From Skepticism to Buy-In: Overcoming the Six Biggest Barriers to Modular Construction
Harro Grimmer, Architect and Managing Partner, ProjektPuls GmbH
Despite its proven advantages, modular construction is often overlooked in favor of conventional building methods. Many project owners recognize the potential benefits of modular, yet key concerns and misconceptions continue to prevent adoption during the critical early stages of project planning.
This session examines six of the most common barriers to modular adoption:
- Perceived cost premiums and budget constraints
- Upfront financing and cash flow requirements
- Resistance to early contractor involvement
- The need for rapid project decisions
- Concerns about flexibility and late-stage changes
- Limited understanding of modular's full value proposition
Through real-world examples and industry experience, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how owners, developers, planners, and contractors evaluate modular solutions—and why projects often default to traditional delivery methods.
Attendees will leave with practical strategies to address common objections, communicate value more effectively, and position modular construction as the preferred solution from the earliest stages of project development.
Industrialized Renovation: Has It Delivered on Its Promise for Europe’s Housing Stock?
Julien Dijol, Head of Policy and Deputy Secretary-General, Housing Europe
Julien will explore whether industrialized and modular renovation has lived up to its promise as a scalable solution for decarbonizing Europe's affordable housing stock.
Drawing on fifteen years of experience since the launch of the Energiesprong approach, he will examine the real achievements — faster delivery, significantly improved energy performance, and minimal disruption for residents — as well as the persistent barriers that have slowed widespread adoption.
This opening address will argue that successful industrialized renovation goes far beyond mass production. It requires the development of coordinated local ecosystems, with aligned governance, innovative financing, robust supply chains, and territorial strategies to unlock its full potential.
Making Modular Construction Work at Scale in Europe
Pieter Schoofs, Managing Director, Skilpod
Modular construction promises speed, quality, and cost certainty, but scaling it successfully across Europe — particularly in the Netherlands and Benelux — is more challenging than most pitch decks suggest. Drawing on real project experience, this session provides a practical assessment of what it takes to scale modular delivery.
Attendees will gain practical insights into:Â
- Navigating local barriers (slow permitting, fragmented regulation, financing) while capitalizing on strong demand drivers (housing shortages, sustainability targets, labor gaps).
- Making framework agreements with developers and housing partners work through early involvement and genuine volume commitment.
- Shifting product strategy by balancing standardization for factory efficiency with the customization levels buyers expect.  Â
MBI Europe: Turning European Policy into Industry Opportunity
Alex van der Laan, Policy Director, MBI Europe
James Hammersley, Regulatory Affairs Manager, MBI Europe
Europe's modular construction market is poised for growth, driven by housing shortages, labor constraints, decarbonization goals, and demand for faster, more efficient project delivery. At the same time, fragmented regulations, inconsistent standards, and evolving EU policies continue to shape how modular construction can scale across borders.
This session will examine the European market and policy landscape and explore how MBI Europe is working to strengthen industry representation, reduce barriers, create opportunities, and position modular construction as a strategic solution to Europe's housing, sustainability, and competitiveness challenges.
Attendees will gain insight into the policy developments shaping the industry, MBI Europe’s advocacy priorities, the value of having a strong industry voice in Brussels, and how to get involved. Â
How Institutional Capital Can Scale Industrialized Housing
Ruben Bos, CFA, Head of Real Estate Investment Strategy, Europe, DWS
Industrialized construction has the potential to help address Europe’s housing shortage, but scaling delivery requires more than manufacturing capacity. Success depends on aligning developers, institutional investors, municipalities, and industry around viable financing, land availability, and effective delivery models.
Join this discussion-led session to explore how public and private stakeholders can collaborate to unlock land, capital, and deliver capacity to scale industrialized housing across Europe.
Attendees will gain practical insights into:
- The role of developers, investors, and municipalities in scaling delivery.
- How public-private partnerships can unlock land, capital, and development opportunities.
- The factors that make industrialized housing investable and scalable.
- Practical approaches to accelerating housing supply across Europe.Â
Timber Modular Construction in Europe: Building for Moisture Resilience
Daniel Meiners, Business Development Manager Prefab & Modular, ARDEX Group
As timber modular construction expands across Europe, effective moisture management has become essential to delivering high-quality, durable buildings while maximizing factory efficiency. This session explores how integrated moisture protection strategies support industrialized timber construction from design through manufacturing and installation.Â
Through project examples and real-world case studies, attendees will leave with actionable insights into best practices, key challenges and innovative approaches that support safe, sustainable, and scalable timber modular construction across Europe.
Unlocking Modular Potential: Leveraging AI at the Concept Stage
Stuart Marshall, Director, Global Sales, Stack Modular
The fate of any modular project is largely determined at the concept stage. Unlike traditional construction, modular design requires strict Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) parameters to be locked in early—leaving little room for error. Traditional feasibility studies, however, are often too slow to match the pace of competitive real estate opportunities.
Join this session to explore how artificial intelligence and generative design are transforming the earliest phases of modular building. Attendees will discover how AI-driven tools instantly analyze site constraints, optimize spatial layouts for factory production, and evaluate thousands of financial and structural permutations in minutes.
Attendees will gain practical insights on:
- How generative AI integrates DfMA constraints into early-stage architectural concepts.
- Accelerating project bidding and securing by shortening the concept and feasibility phase.
- Using AI-driven modeling to flag financial, structural, or logistical issues before costly redesigns occur.
By applying AI at the very beginning of the project lifecycle, developers, manufacturers, and other stakeholders can reduce risk, improve material efficiency, accelerate decision-making and unlock the true scalability of modular construction.
Meet the Modular Building Industry
in Amsterdam
Mövenpick Hotel Amsterdam City Centre
Piet Heinkade 11
1019 BR Amsterdam
The Netherlands