Explore the future of construction through our webinar series, featuring expert insights on the latest innovations and technologies in the industry. Topics include AI, sustainability and emerging best practices that are shaping how we build. These sessions are available to watch—stay informed and connected with professionals in the field.
our unique, world-class research, game-changing technology and innovation is leading Canada's construction revolution.
40+
companies supported
$8M+
raised for research
50+
projects completed
Process and productivity improvement: We work with organizations to assess, measure and analyze their operations to optimize their workflows.
Digital technology implementation: We help businesses evaluate, analyze and implement digital technology to streamline their processes.
Lab testing services: We support companies in need of testing for structures, materials, building envelopes, and more to ensure high quality products.
UNB Off-site Construction Research Centre (OCRC) developed the Canadian Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) Framework. The framework is an effort to bring clarity to a space that’s been fragmented and oftentimes, misunderstood, for too long. Why the conversation about “building better” in Canada needs more clarity and less confusion.
For decades, the construction industry in Canada has been operating under growing pressure. Productivity has remained largely stagnant, skilled labour is becoming harder to find, and at the same time, the country is facing a housing shortfall prediction of more than 3.5 million homes by 2030.
Off-site construction is undergoing a shift. According to leaders at Graitec and Metaligna, we’re only at the beginning. During an industry webinar, Brandon Ionata, VP of Fabrication at Graitec, and Tony Marcantonio, VP and CTO of Metaligna, shared how digital tools, automation and industry partnerships are accelerating change.
Throughout the 2025 federal election, the conversation around Canada’s housing crisis sharpened its focus on prefabricated construction. With Prime Minister Mark Carney’s target of nearly doubling Canada’s rate of residential construction in ten years to ultimately build 500 000 homes annually, prefabricated construction has become a centrepiece of this conversation.
If Canada doesn’t rethink and restructure how housing gets produced, financed, and delivered, not just subsidized, there’s a risk of repeating the same mistakes seen elsewhere, particularly in California, where well-intentioned funding drove costs higher instead of creating more homes.
We're happy to have participated in the OCRC's growth since its inception. In this next evolutionary phase, we're confident that the OCRC’s added research and development capability will not only benefit the construction industry as a whole; it will also increase participation by the private sector to do more building research. This will bring more investment to the province and make UNB a hub for off-site construction practices.
Mr. Hans O. Klohn, President, OSCO Construction Group
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