The first public industrialised homes at affordable prices will be built in Ingenio and Santa Cruz de La Palma, announced Ana Zurita, Director General of Industry for the regional government, on Tuesday.
Speaking at the first technical meeting of a strategy to boost industrialised construction in the Canary Islands, Zurita highlighted that the islands have a clear roadmap for the industrialisation of housing. María de la Salud Gil, president of the builders and property developers of Las Palmas, underscored that the region is leading nationally in this new form of housing development.
Since the strategy was established in 2023, efforts have started to incentivise manufacturers of industrialised construction products and to raise awareness among the public and institutions about industrial housing, which could help tackle the accessibility issues in the Canary Islands.
To support this initiative, the Canary government and provincial construction associations have set up technical offices focused on industrialised construction. These offices will present a strategic plan aimed at convincing businesses to embrace this sector at a time when traditional construction is becoming outdated, needing innovation and factory-based building methods to quickly address the housing demand.
Zurita stated that industrialised construction could be developed on any public or private land, not just for single-family homes, but also for public housing projects aimed at providing affordable options.
“We are aiming to shift our approach,” she said. “These will no longer be special projects, but a transformation of construction in a short timeframe.” To facilitate this, the General Directorate of Industry is promoting incentives for the manufacture of innovative construction elements.
In this context, the governments of Ingenio and Santa Cruz de La Palma are advancing plans for two affordable industrialised buildings on public land, with tenders expected to be issued by the end of the month and construction anticipated to take just ten months. This timeline could enhance the profitability of the projects, although it won’t reduce costs, which remain high in the Canary Islands.
Gil explained that the sector aims to establish a local industry that replaces traditional construction processes with industrialised methods, a possibility she claims has been overlooked. Challenges such as the geographical isolation, a lack of legal recognition for industrialised housing, funding issues—since banks typically do not finance industrialised construction as it is considered a movable asset rather than real estate—and difficulties in insuring these homes must be resolved. Solutions are expected to be presented by September 30.
