The Leviatan Design & Ubitech Construcții business group is a major promoter of digitization in the Romanian market sector. Leviatan Design – the design firm whose motto is “Mind Matter” – has managed to distinguish itself locally through its high capacity for adaptation, firmly supported by the digitization and automation of internal processes, as well as by innovative working methods such as BIM. As for Ubitech Construcții, it represents one of the most technologized companies currently active in Romania, having succeeded in implementing the BIM methodology across the entire work process, in the most significant projects carried out nationally. A company with 100% Romanian capital, it offers complete services in the field, such as general contracting, design and execution, project management and implementation, specializing in design & build projects of high complexity. At the management level, the central concern is the implementation and promotion of new technologies in the Romanian market, at all project stages, as well as the realization of sustainable constructions, which allow the intuitive and easy use of Facility Management and Smart Buildings solutions. Next, Cătălin Podaru – CEO of the two companies – refers to the market sector, financial performance, and the solutions identified to ensure the best conditions for achieving strategic objectives.
– Specify the level of turnover achieved by Leviatan Design and Ubitech Construcții in 2022 and in the first six months of 2023, and estimate its evolution in 2023.
– In 2022, our group of companies recorded a consolidated turnover of over 300 million lei, and at the halfway point of 2023, the turnover was 160 million lei. Moreover, we estimate that by the end of this year we will exceed last year’s turnover by at least 25%.
– How has the construction activity evolved in the first six months of 2023, and how do you consider it will develop until the end of the year, as well as in the near future?
– The construction market has had a positive evolution in the first six months of this year, and we estimate that it will follow this trend until the end of 2023. We appreciate that the Romanian construction market currently has the greatest chances of sustainable development, due to European funds, including those from the PNRR, and in the perspective of 2024 – 2025, we expect to see major investments in the public domain. However, after the stabilization of the economy and prices, we anticipate an increase in private investments, not only in the residential area, as until now, but also in the production facilities area and energy production projects. Nonetheless, it must be taken into account that the Executive’s intention to remove fiscal facilities from the construction sector could generate a series of problems for many companies in this sector.
– What are the future directions of action, in view of developing the two companies (investments in equipment, digitization, new technologies, training of specialists, etc.)? Do you aim to expand into other sectors of activity?
– Our companies are deeply engaged in technological development processes for optimizing design and execution flows and increasing productivity and quality level in the projects carried out. Additionally, our specialists aim to integrate the component of artificial intelligence within the workflows, to improve all processes and to multiply the value of generated data and ease people’s activities. This fundamental transformation is carried out with the support of eConfaire, which is part of our group of companies. At the same time, we are working on integrating state-of-the-art equipment, both in the design process and in execution, to create a Digital Twin that includes precise and complete information about the projects we carry out. Thus, we obtain tangible added value for the work teams, but especially for the clients who desire a high quality of projects in a short time.
– How has the activity evolved in 2022 and in the first half of this year, and what are your estimates for 2023 and in perspective?
– The growth of our companies was real, due to transformational leadership. Thus, we maintained the balance of organic development, parallel with carrying out projects of high complexity, both in the design phase and in the execution phase, compared to previously carried out projects. Normally, this progress comes with a very high pressure on the organization, however, through continuous development and optimization of processes, we managed to transform it into beneficial energy. This allowed us to manage information and resources efficiently, maintaining the same pace and quality of the projects carried out, without delays or other compromises, as usually happens in such situations. In the following period, we expect the upward trend to continue, considering the multiple market opportunities, as well as the consolidation of our brand in the perception of clients and collaborators. Therefore, we expect the quality level of our projects and the speed with which they will be carried out to increase, considering that the technological infusion our group of companies benefited from has a profoundly transformational character. We consider that profound transformations in the field of artificial intelligence and robotics, correctly used, produce changes 10 times faster than before. Our expectations take into account all the current challenges generated by unpredictability, lack of human resources, inflation, as well as legislative changes that directly influence the field in which we operate.
– Comment on the level of design service prices in relation to market reality, inflation, and the volume of work. How do you estimate they will evolve in the short term?
– Design prices have also increased due to very high demand, as this area most acutely feels the lack of specialists and organizations structured for complex and large-scale projects, in a context with a very high market demand. However, we consider that the Romanian design market needs to be calibrated through the structuring of organizations and design companies, to deliver feasibility studies and high-quality projects, which allow constructors to plan and execute quickly, as well as coordinate complex projects. In this way, the value and prices of design will be evaluated, certainly, at a level similar to prices in the West, and the current context allows this development. This is, however, a primary condition for the realization of investments in Romania, and design companies must take the first step to demonstrate the quality of their services, without expecting their value to be appreciated officially by clients or by execution companies.
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