Nicola McKay, Steven Lennon, Anne Daw, and Kosta Kapetangiannis recently attended MMC Ireland 2025, gaining valuable insights into the evolving landscape of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). As a founding member of MMC Ireland, it was fantastic to attend this year’s conference, a thriving platform for discussions on policy developments, digital innovation, and be a part of the conversation around the opportunities for collaboration in Ireland and beyond.
Nicola McKay, Belfast Studio Director – Government Support & Industry Collaboration
“The Irish government has demonstrated a proactive stance in enabling offsite construction, creating significant opportunities across housing, education, and healthcare. Their commitment to fostering MMC adoption, alongside active engagement with industry voices, has positioned the government as an enabler of solutions who is converting their ambitions into a tangible pipeline of work and leading to more effective implementation of MMC in projects.
A key takeaway from the conference was how Ireland is learning from the rest of the world, exploring lessons learnt from the UK, Europe, and the US to refine its approach. This knowledge exchange and collaboration is crucial for ensuring that MMC is implemented effectively.
The conference itself was an excellent opportunity to engage with other industry leaders with global project expertise, offering insights into international best practice. The connections made here will help shape future collaborations and drive innovation in offsite construction.
We see digital technology as an enabler of MMC across key sectors, using standardization to improve efficiency and adaptability. We are committed to embracing technological advancements, positioning ourselves as a leader in the field. Anne’s presentation with Cairn Homes highlighted this, identifying how through innovative digital design platforms we are shaping the future of offsite construction, enhancing collaboration and driving efficiency across the industry.”
It’s clear that Ireland is making significant strides in integrating MMC into national construction strategies.
Steven Lennon, Head of Justice & Emergency Services– Policy Commitments & Regulatory Changes
“The Irish government’s commitment to MMC was reinforced by the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage, who confirmed the ambitious goal of delivering 303,000 homes between 2025 and 2030, backed by a €6 billion capital investment.
Several key policy updates were also announced that will have a direct impact on the sector:
- The Standardised Design Approach for Housing (MMC) and Design Standards for Student Accommodation will be released in early 2025, providing clear guidance on future developments.
- The new Planning & Development Act 2024, due in Q1/Q2 of 2025, will introduce measures to streamline the planning process and support MMC projects.
- Enterprise Ireland’s Construct Innovate initiative is set to release ‘open source’ MMC standard details, creating a tested and standardised framework for offsite construction.
It’s clear that Ireland is making significant strides in integrating MMC into national construction strategies. These policy commitments provide a solid foundation for the future of offsite construction, ensuring a more efficient and sustainable approach to delivering homes and infrastructure.”
Anne Daw, Head of MMC Delivery
“The investment in research and policy development of the Irish government is commendable. They have picked up the key issues quickly and put actions in place to advance the development of MMC at all levels. That energy and clarity has encouraged the industry to respond with their own investment, challenging traditional approacheds and bringing innovation to the table, particularly in the areas of digital innovation and sustainability.
MMC Ireland 2025 provided an excellent forum that brought together all the key stakeholders and facilitated meaningful discussions across a broad range of topics. The conversations I had ranged from AI’s role in MMC, to policy direction and regulation, to material selection and carbon accounting. The best part, however, was meeting industry peers face-to-face, forming personal connections that will drive forward future innovations.
I was honored to be invited by Ronan Lonergan, Design Lead – Pre-Construction and Innovation at Cairn Homes and MMC Ireland to speak at the conference on digital innovation and industrialised construction. Cairn’s enthusiasm for showcasing our Digital Design Standardisation Toolkit as an innovative approach to housebuilding is a testament to the forward-thinking mindset shaping the construction landscape. Thank you to Ronan for the opportunity to present alongside him and to share our pioneering research in MMC.”
Kosta Kapetangiannis, Dublin Studio Director – Collaboration & Future Opportunities
“MMC Ireland provided an excellent platform to discuss not only the opportunities in MMC but also some of the key challenges that need to be addressed to unlock its full potential.
While there is clear momentum, several structural barriers continue to impede the sector’s growth. The slow planning process remains a major issue, with long delays between planning applications and projects breaking ground. Streamlining these processes will be essential to accelerate delivery.
Another challenge is the slow certification process through National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI). Last year, only four certifications were issued, with a target of eight this year, yet there are 48 live applications in the system, highlighting a significant backlog that needs to be addressed.
Additionally, education-industry collaboration in advancing MMC into Building Environment & Construction Tertiary level courses and apprenticeships are progressing too slowly. We need to see a stronger push to integrate MMC as part of our education, as upskilling the next generation of professionals in MMC will be key to sustaining growth in the sector.
Despite these challenges, the conference made it clear that there is strong industry will and government backing to overcome these hurdles. By continuing to push for policy reforms, technological advancements, and industry-wide collaboration, we can drive the next phase of MMC adoption in Ireland.”
From our perspective, MMC Ireland 2025 was a resounding success, offering valuable insights and collaboration opportunities. With increasing government support, evolving policy frameworks, and emerging digital innovations from ourselves and many others across the industry, we look forward to playing a key role in advancing MMC and delivering sustainable, high-quality built environments for the future.
