Connect with us

Technology

Geneva retains top spot in Arcadis’ 2026 global construction cost rankings as clients seek greater control over delivery certainty

Published

on

New global ranking shows that in complex buildings markets, the ability to assure cost, schedule and delivery confidence is becoming a source of competitive advantage

AMSTERDAM, July 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Arcadis (EURONEXT: ARCAD), the world’s leading company delivering data-driven sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets, today announced that Geneva remains the world’s most expensive city in which to build, ahead of London and Zurich, according to its 2026 International Construction Cost Index.

The annual index, which compares construction costs across 100 major cities, shows that the world’s highest-cost construction markets remain concentrated in mature, complex cities with deep demand and constrained delivery capacity. Geneva ranks first globally, followed by London, Zurich, Munich and Copenhagen. New York City, San Francisco, Dublin, Bristol and Philadelphia complete the global top ten.

While the top of the ranking remains broadly consistent, the wider market context has shifted. Global construction markets are moving from inflation-led uncertainty into a more selective phase of investment, where capital is being deployed more carefully rather than demand simply slowing. For buildings clients, capital is increasingly favouring complex, high-performing assets that support long-term growth — including modern workplaces, healthcare facilities, laboratories, data centres, advanced manufacturing facilities and other highly serviced buildings that underpin digital and energy transition. But higher financing costs, energy volatility, tariff uncertainty and supply-chain constraints are putting greater pressure on project viability and increasing the value of early cost intelligence, scenario planning, procurement strategy and disciplined programme delivery.

In higher-cost markets, early cost planning can help protect value and secure scarce supply-chain capacity. In lower-cost markets, clients still need to test market readiness, infrastructure availability and delivery resilience before committing capital.

Edel Christie, Global President – Places, Arcadis, said: “Construction cost is no longer just a measure of price, and Arcadis’ International Construction Cost Index is no longer simply a guide to where construction is most or least expensive. It shows where cost, capacity, delivery risk and investment confidence are converging. That matters because cost is not the same as deliverability: projects should be designed, procured and planned around real-world conditions and the local realities that shape delivery.

“The need to build has not gone away. Cities still need homes, infrastructure, resilient energy systems, modern workplaces and digital infrastructure to support the next generation of economic growth. The opportunity is clear, but investment will flow to places and programmes where delivery is credible, viable and achievable — not just cheap to build.”

This is particularly evident in highly serviced assets such as data centres, where power availability, successful sourcing of long lead-in equipment, supply-chain capacity and speed-to-market are now more important to investment decisions than local construction costs.

The index also highlights the breadth of cost variation across global construction markets. While high-cost locations are concentrated in Europe, the UK and North America, some of the lowest-cost locations are found across Asia, Africa and Latin America. Bengaluru ranks as the least expensive city in the index, followed by Buenos Aires, Delhi, Mumbai and Ho Chi Minh City.

The important distinction is that lower headline costs do not translate into easier or more reliable delivery. Market readiness, grid capacity, permitting, supply-chain depth, skills availability and access to specialist contractors are increasingly decisive in determining whether projects can move from planning to construction.

Todd Burns, Global Service Executive for Program Management, Arcadis, said: “In today’s market, upfront cost is no longer the sole focus. The bigger questions are now about how quickly a project can generate revenue, how efficiently capital can be deployed and how confidently it can be delivered as market conditions change.

“That requires cost, schedule, procurement and risk decisions to be brought together much earlier, so clients can test trade-offs before they become expensive to change. Done well, that helps protect viability, secure the right market capacity and move more quickly from investment case to revenue.”

Top ten most expensive cities to build in, 2026

GenevaLondonZurichMunichCopenhagenNew York CitySan FranciscoDublinBristolPhiladelphia

The full Arcadis International Construction Cost Index 2026 report is available to read and download here.

ABOUT ARCADIS ICC 
The Arcadis International Construction Cost Index compares the relative cost of construction across 100 global cities. The index is based on a survey of construction costs, review of market conditions and the professional judgement of Arcadis’ global team of experts. Costs are indexed against Amsterdam, which is set at 100.

The index is designed to compare the relative costs of delivering the same building functions in different cities. It excludes land, demolition, external works and services, risk allowances, professional fees and local sales taxes. It does not account for purchasing power parity.

ABOUT ARCADIS
Arcadis is the world’s leading company delivering data-driven sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets. We are around 34,000 architects, data analysts, designers, engineers, project planners, water management and sustainability experts, all driven by our passion for improving quality of life. As part of our commitment to accelerating a planet positive future, we work with our clients to make sustainable project choices, combining digital and human innovation, and embracing future-focused skills across the environment, energy and water, buildings, transport, and infrastructure sectors. We operate in over 30 countries, and reported €4.9 billion in gross revenues for 2025. www.arcadis.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/geneva-retains-top-spot-in-arcadis-2026-global-construction-cost-rankings-as-clients-seek-greater-control-over-delivery-certainty-302822760.html

SOURCE Arcadis

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Technology

YFORE Debuts ODMS In-Cabin Sensing System to Enhance Cockpit Safety

Published

on

By

SUWANEE, Ga., Aug. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Marking the official opening of its North American manufacturing facility in Georgia, global Tier-1 supplier YFORE Technology debuted its Occupant & Driver Monitoring System (ODMS)—an integrated in-cabin full-coverage sensing solution.

As in-cabin monitoring systems become standard, conventional vision-only setups often struggle with seatback occlusion, footwell blind spots, and covered occupants, while distributed sensors complicate vehicle wiring and roof tooling. To solve this, YFORE’s ODMS combines a DMS/OMS-integrated smart mirror with automotive-grade cabin radar, delivering an integrated multimodal architecture for robust cabin protection.

Multimodal Fusion Eliminates Blind Spots
Integrating the smart mirror with in-cabin radar overcomes optical limitations through RF signal penetration. The smart mirror’s high-definition camera tracks driver fatigue, distraction, and unresponsive states from a prime forward angle. Simultaneously, the roof radar penetrates blankets, clothing, and tall seatbacks to capture micro-breathing in rear rows and footwells, achieving comprehensive 3D spatial coverage.

Full-Scenario Sensing Aligned with Safety Standards
The ODMS architecture covers seven core functions: driver fatigue, distraction, unresponsive driver, and phone use detection, alongside seatbelt status, occupant classification, and full-cabin life presence detection. This integrated approach provides automakers with a reliable, full-scenario sensing foundation to help vehicles achieve five-star safety ratings under Euro NCAP.

Streamlined Architecture and Cabin Space
By embedding optical components into the smart mirror and pairing them with a compact radar module, ODMS eliminates multiple headliner cutouts and complex roof wiring. This preserves clean interior aesthetics while simplifying platform adaptation across multiple vehicle models.

Moving from localized monitoring to full-cabin protection, YFORE delivers a comprehensive, integrated, and scalable safety solution for global automakers.

About YFORE

YFORE is a global Tier 1 automotive electronics supplier dedicated to driving the future of intelligent mobility. Partnering with more than 30 leading automotive OEMs worldwide, YFORE delivers high-performance, automotive-grade solutions across Intelligent Access, Intelligent Mirror and Sensing systems. With operational footprint spanning North America, Europe, and Asia, YFORE combines global engineering depth with local execution to empower the next era of connected vehicles.
For more information, please visit www.yftech.com/en or follow YFORE on LinkedIn.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/yfore-debuts-odms-in-cabin-sensing-system-to-enhance-cockpit-safety-302863286.html

SOURCE YFORE

Continue Reading

Technology

Niutech Signs Agreement with Global Energy Major for Waste Plastic Pyrolysis Line to Produce SAF

Published

on

By

JINAN, China, Aug. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Niutech Technology Group Co., Ltd (abbreviated as “Niutech”), a STAR Market-listed Chinese company specialized in industrial continuous pyrolysis technology, today announced it has signed a sales agreement with a global energy major for an Industrial Continuous Waste Plastic Pyrolysis Production Line. The line runs on Niutech’s proprietary patented pyrolysis technology and delivers safe, environmentally sound operation with a single-unit processing capacity of 10,000 to 50,000 tons per year (tpy). The agreement marks Niutech’s first entry into the customer’s equipment supply chain and the start of a long-term partnership.

As part of its sustainability commitments, the customer has steadily expanded investment in renewable energy in recent years and made Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) a strategic priority. Under the agreement, Niutech’s technology and equipment will be deployed to upgrade a large refinery owned by the customer. Once complete, the refinery will have an integrated capability from pyrolysis oil to hydrotreated SAF.

SAF is widely regarded as a key pathway for aviation decarbonization. Under the EU’s ReFuelEU Aviation regulation, SAF blending in jet fuel is mandatory at 2% from 2025, rising to 6% by 2030 and 70% by 2050, while the UK and Singapore have enacted their own blending mandates. Used cooking oil (UCO) is currently the dominant feedstock for SAF production, but limited UCO supply has left the market in urgent need of alternatives. Through Niutech’s patented technology, waste plastics can be converted into pyrolysis oil suitable for SAF production, making the feedstock route a promising second option.

Niutech’s industrial continuous waste plastic line is highly tolerant of feedstock quality: it requires no complex washing, sorting, drying or fine shredding, and directly pyrolyzes low-value waste plastics — including PP, PE, PS, ABS and nylon, single or mixed — with high efficiency and long-cycle, safe, stable continuous operation at large throughput. Niutech’s waste plastic pyrolysis solutions have been commercialized in the UK, South Korea, Denmark, Thailand, Vietnam, China and other markets, supporting multiple 10,000-tonne-scale continuous projects, including the European Waste Plastic Pyrolysis Chemical Recycling Demonstration Project, the Southeast Asian Waste Plastic Pyrolysis Chemical Recycling Demonstration Project, and China’s first large-scale continuous pyrolysis project for medical waste plastics.

Waste plastic pyrolysis oil, once an alternative energy source, is now becoming a key upstream feedstock for aviation decarbonization. “Large-scale pyrolysis projects place demanding requirements on the continuous operation capability of the equipment,” said a market executive at Niutech. “Niutech has focused on pyrolysis technology for nearly 40 years and brings mature equipment and extensive project experience. This partnership is another validation of the strength of our industrial continuous technology.”

About Niutech

Niutech Technology Group Co., Ltd (Stock Code: 688309) is a pyrolysis solutions provider with fully proprietary, globally leading pyrolysis technology, integrating R&D and application, high-end equipment manufacturing and sales, and its own industrial project construction and operation. Its independently developed industrial continuous pyrolysis equipment, with a single-unit processing capacity of 10,000 to 50,000 tpy, has been applied to the disposal of more than 30 waste types, including scrap tires, waste plastics, oily sludge, tar residue, medical waste and biomass. Niutech has helped customers complete 10,000-tonne-scale continuous pyrolysis projects across dozens of countries, including Germany, the UK, South Korea, Denmark and Brazil.

Website: www.niutechpyrolysis.com
Email: contact@niutech.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@niutechpyrolysis
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pyrolysistooil

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/niutech-signs-agreement-with-global-energy-major-for-waste-plastic-pyrolysis-line-to-produce-saf-302863280.html

SOURCE Niutech Technology Group Co., Ltd

Continue Reading

Technology

Amid Growing Water Crisis, Chandigarh University Biotechnology Researchers Get Patent for Innovative Device to Kitchen Wastewater Reuse, Save Potable Water

Published

on

By

CU Researchers’ Patent Two-Stage Filtering Device to Address Water Scarcity
with Recycling of Kitchen Wastewater for Gardening, Cleaning and Other Uses

CHANDIGARH, India, Aug. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At a time when 80% of water supplied to households in India is released as wastewater even as over 60 crore people in the country are facing severe water crisis due to extreme groundwater over-extraction, erratic monsoons and rapid urbanisation, a team of Chandigarh University (CU) researchers has conceived and patented an innovative wastewater filtering device designed to provide a two-stage treatment for kitchen wastewater before it enters the drainage system, while also enabling collection of the filtered water for suitable domestic uses including gardening, irrigation and outdoor-area cleaning, thus  reducing the demand for fresh potable water.

Chandigarh University researchers including Prof (Dr) Anu Kumar, Associate Professor, Department of Biotechnology, CU along with two students of Biotechnology, Bhanu Krishan and Shivani have been granted a patent for this invention titled ‘Waste Water Filtering Device’ by the Patent Office, Government of India in April 2026.

Sharing details, Prof Kumar said, “The idea for this Device came from the water scarcity experienced in Shimla in 2018. This water crisis made me think that while water is an essential and limited resource, yet much water gets wasted in household activities which don’t require potable water. According to Economic Survey 2025-26, India is among the top generators of wastewater in the world, with almost 112 billion litres of urban wastewater being generated daily but only 8% of wastewater generated was being recycled and reused. So there is a need to reuse wastewater wherever possible rather than allowing it to directly go into the drainage system as over 60 Crore people in India are experiencing high to extreme water stress in India. The device was therefore designed as a simple, affordable solution to treat commonly generated household wastewater, particularly kitchen wastewater and collect it for suitable reuse. The broader aim was to make the best possible use of available water, reduce wastage and contribute to water conservation,”.

Explaining the working of this Device, Prof Kumar said, “When wastewater get generated during washing of utensils, it enters the modified strainer, the main housing of the filtering device. From there, the wastewater passes through two successive treatment sections. The first section contains multiple polyurethane sheets coated with silica along the inner walls of the strainer. These sheets serve as the primary filtering and absorbing material and are intended to absorb oily constituents and soap micelles present in kitchen wastewater. The wastewater then passes through a second section containing activated charcoal which provides second adsorption stage for contaminants in the wastewater,”.

 “Thus, the two sections work sequentially, with the first stage primarily addressing oil- and soap-containing constituents while the activated charcoal providing further adsorption of contaminants. The filtered water is then conveyed through a tail pipe connected to the strainer and directed into an attached storage tank where the treated water is collected for further suitable non-potable domestic uses,” he added.

Prof Kumar said this treated wastewater collected in the storage tank can be used for watering household plants, lawns and other vegetation. It could also potentially be used for toilet flushing, floor and outdoor-area cleaning, washing of courtyards or other utility areas, thereby reducing the demand for potable water. The basic idea is to divert relatively less-contaminated household wastewater from the drainage system, remove major constituents such as oil, grease and soap micelles through the polyurethane and activated-charcoal stages and collect filtered water for appropriate non-drinking applications, he said.

 “The ‘Waste Water Filtering Device’ is designed specifically for wastewater generated during routine washing activities in a kitchen. It integrates filtration and water collection into a single device and uses a sequential treatment concept combining silica-coated polyurethane sheets and activated charcoal. Overall, this device offers a potential preliminary treatment and water-reuse approach for domestic settings, especially for works which don’t require potable water,” Prof Kumar added.

Congratulating Chandigarh University researchers for getting the patent for the ‘Waste Water Filtering Device’, Deepinder Singh Sandhu, Senior Managing Director, Chandigarh University said, “This achievement reflects the strong research and innovation eco-system at Chandigarh University to support research excellence and intellectual property generation for advancement of technology. Chandigarh University’s students and faculty members have filed more than 6,100 patents out of which 5800 patents have been published and 260 patents have been granted. Chandigarh University has been ranked number one as a single institution in India for filing highest number of patents. CU’s 44 faculty members featured in Stanford University–Elsevier list of the world’s top 2% scientists,”.

“The range of research activities at Chandigarh University is both wide-ranging and profound. CU scholars conduct research in practically every domain, and pursue to develop human knowledge through investigation, invention, and understanding. Chandigarh University is recognized as Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (SIRO) by the Union Ministry of Science and Technology’s Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) for promoting and advancing the research,” he said.

Sandhu further said to further strengthen its research eco-system, Chandigarh University has dedicated an annual budget of Rs 15 Crore for research and has also 60 Research Centres and 15 Centres of Excellence. CU’s research initiatives are further strengthened by 67 projects funded by the corporate sector and government bodies with Rs 90 Crore.

“Making research a core pillar of education, Chandigarh University nurtures next-generation leaders in emerging domains with its research-intensive, innovation-driven and unique experiential learning model. CU has established a strong presence in global academic databases by producing over 25,000+ scholarly documents in key areas including engineering, computer science, life sciences, physical sciences, social sciences and management, according to Scopus. These research publications have received more than 1.53 lakh Scopus citations which reflect the growing impact of CU’s diverse research output,” he added.

Chandigarh University

Chandigarh University is a NAAC A+ Grade University and QS World Ranked University. This autonomous educational institution is approved by UGC and is located near Chandigarh in the state of Punjab. It is the youngest university in India and the only private university in Punjab to be honoured with A+ Grade by NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council). CU offers more than 109 UG and PG programs in the field of engineering, management, pharmacy, law, architecture, journalism, animation, hotel management, commerce, and others. It has been awarded as The University with Best Placements by WCRC.

Website address: https://www.cuchd.in/

Photo: https://mmx.prnewswire.com/media/MS1977927/PRESS-PIC-001-CU-STUDENTS.jpg?id=OA2918975&token=eyJhbGciOiJkaXIiLCJlbmMiOiJBMjU2R0NNIn0..aE6gItATRRYXmGQZ.7pVOgUCJzjiZGn8mSlpak0iGQ4xcdeyDuTBUkKt-BMPXL3kkVbmIx-dX_mgayhdNxWV_WXZc9G9m3VZ7Zc7tgq4KDlx2jQKdRT7VBCJoUagzvgDswMQa12bEOGSOugKNZk8.HzkA6WIu4AyOnND9gqcM9A

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/amid-growing-water-crisis-chandigarh-university-biotechnology-researchers-get-patent-for-innovative-device-to-kitchen-wastewater-reuse-save-potable-water-302863271.html

Continue Reading

Trending