COVID-19 opportunities in construction projects: the case of Peru

Abstract

The Covid pandemic has been an unprecedented event in the construction sector, which has generated a series of impacts, for which many researchers have developed studies to identify them. However, many of these studies have focused on the negative impacts and have not focused on collecting the opportunities generated. For this reason, the following study aims to identify the opportunities generated in the medium term because of the COVID-19 pandemic in construction projects, considering the case of the Peruvian construction sector. To this end, the study begins with a literature review where the main opportunities are identified, which are validated by expert judgment. In the next stage, Peruvian professionals were surveyed; the results were processed and categorized using the RII (Relative Importance Index), and finally, the results were discussed. The main opportunities generated by COVID-19 are greater emphasis on hygiene programs, the use of remote work technology, and the acceleration of digitalization in projects. This research will help professionals in the construction sector to exploit the opportunities of disruptive events like COVID-19 that may arise in the future.