Ferrovial Construction CEO: Tech is the biggest opportunity for our fleets in 2025

Ignacio Gastón, CEO of Ferrovial Construction. Photo: Ferrovial

As head of construction at one of the world’s largest infrastructure contractors, Ignacio Gastón, has no doubts that technology is set to provide the biggest opportunities for his company in 2025.

“The biggest opportunity for the construction sector in 2025 is to continue leveraging automation, AI, and data-driven tools to enhance efficiency, accuracy and safety,” says the CEO of Ferrovial Construction, the construction division of Spanish-Dutch infrastructure group.

Ferrovial, a global builder of airports, highways and stadiums, which is ranked one of the top ten construction contractors in the world by turnover in the International Construction ICON 200, and is a major customer for rental firms around the world, has placed adopting new technology front and centre of its drive to improve efficiencies and competitiveness.

In 2022, the company signed a partnership with Microsoft to develop digital solutions for the construction, infrastructure and mobility industries which, as well as investigating new ways of building and providing energy to Microsoft’s data centres, is also working to speed up Ferrovial’s digitalisation.

Since then, Ferrovial has become the first infrastructure company to provide its employees with a generative artificial intelligence tool in a secure data environment and has established a digital hub to come up with tech solutions to improve efficiency across its many businesses.

“Creating innovative spaces that meet the needs of a fast moving, interconnected world is in our DNA, and we are committed to fostering the consistent drive for growth wherever we can,” Gastón says.

Why Ferrovial is using machine control on its equipment

And yet, as Gastón points out, in terms of enabling the vast fleets of construction equipment the company rents and leases, one of Ferrovial’s key drives this year is to increase uptake of a far more mature technology.

Machine control – a system where earthwork machinery can be accurately positioned using 3D design models and GPS data – has been used in some countries for nearly twenty years.

Gastón says that the technology, which is particularly established in countries such as the USA, Australia, Spain and the UK, is not just important to improve accuracy on jobsites but can also be employed as a tool to attract staff.

“Adopting machine control can attract more tech-savvy talent who are drawn to innovation,” he says. “As technology continues to evolve within the construction industry, we anticipate the creation of new opportunities with fresh skillsets that may not have existed in years past. For example, future machine operators will need to understand GPS systems, interpret 3D models, and have basic coding or troubleshooting abilities, shifting the focus from manual operation to technical proficiency.”

To find out just how much machine control could drive efficiencies, Ferrovial’s US subsidiary Webber set up a trial with tech partner Trimble where a senior operator with 30 years’ experience and a junior operator with just one year of experience were asked to dig four identical drainage pits measuring 25 feet by 25 feet using the technology at a State Highway project near Brazoria, Texas.

The Komatsu P360s were leased and retrofitted with Trimble Earthworks systems specifically for the trial.

They found that the experienced operator was able to reduce the amount of time taken to dig his ponds from 22 minutes without using the technology to 15 minutes with it, and to improve accuracy from 65% without the tech to 95% accuracy using the machine control.

However, more dramatically, the inexperienced operator managed to nearly halve the amount of time it took him to complete the task using the technology, from 40 minutes to 25 minutes. And he was able to improve the level of accuracy from 35% without the tech to 95% with it.

Ferrovial teams use machine control. Image: Ferrovial

“The trial reinforced our confidence in scaling these technologies,” says Gastón. “Junior operators appreciated how the technology simplified tasks and accelerated their learning curve, while senior operators valued the precision and reduced physical strain. Many realized that automation enhanced their roles. Throughout the project, operators became more confident as they used the technology and could focus deeper on the quality of the work.”

And, Gastón says he believes this is just the beginning. Even though operators are currently still needed for safety, oversight, and troubleshooting, as the semi-automatics require human input for decision-making in complex or dynamic environments, new technology could change that.

“With advancements in AI and autonomous vehicle technology, I expect the role of the operator to shift further toward remote supervision or fleet management,” he says. “Fully autonomous systems are on the horizon, but widespread adoption depends on regulatory frameworks, liability considerations, and industry readiness.”

However, even though machine control technology has been in existence for the last twenty years, Gastón says, in many countries the company still faces barriers to using it.

Although a number of major rental firms including Sunbelt and Boels are now offering GPS machine control equipment for rent as well as installation, training and technical support, supply remains patchy.  Costs usually include a weekly hire fee of around US$400 a week as well as additional installation costs, making it impractical for smaller machines or those on shorter hire periods. 

“Adoption of machine control systems is not universal because of a variety of reasons: upfront costs, the need for skilled operators and data management personnel, and regulatory landscapes in various territories,” Gastón says.

Infrastructure investment booms

The fact that the machine control trial was led by Webber, Ferrovial’s US subsidiary is also significant. Ferrovial is continuing to invest heavily in the region which last year accounted for nearly half (49%) of the company’s construction order book, equating to US$17.4 billion’s worth of work.

In 2023, the 73-year-old company, which is still part owned by Spain’s billionaire Del Pino family, moved its headquarters from Spain to the Netherlands in a move that was aimed in part at speeding up its application for a US listing, enabling it to access increased funding in its largest market.

Over the past four years, that market has been boosted by record amounts of infrastructure spending from former president Joe Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

In 2023 alone, Ferrovial picked up nearly US$1.3 billion worth of road construction projects in Texas and Florida while in Europe the company is working on plans to extend Catalonia’s R2 commuter rail system.

Although Donald Trump has issued an executive order telling government agencies to pause giving out IIJA funds, the new administration has already backed a plan by private companies to invest billions more in digital infrastructure.

Gastón says that the difficulties in getting hold of skilled staff and suitable building materials top his list of concerns for the year ahead.

According to Associated Builders and Contractors, US construction materials prices rose 40.5% between February 2020 and January 2025 while experts believe will continue to climb further this year, driven in part by energy price rises and the impact of potential tariffs.

“Companies should be prepared to address the potential impact of inflation on materials pricing and labour shortages,” says Gastón. “But I believe it will be another strong year for infrastructure,”