MMC Ireland National Conference 2026

On Thursday, 5 March 2026, more than 400 industry leaders, policymakers, educators and manufacturers gathered at The Johnstown Estate for the 2026 MMC Ireland National Conference, a flagship annual event dedicated to accelerating Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) across the country.

The theme of this year’s conference was Transforming Construction in Ireland, with the full‑day programme bringing together voices from government, academia, training bodies and major construction firms to examine the policy, skills, standardisation and innovation needed to industrialise Ireland’s construction sector. Highlights from the event included an overview from Paul Tierney, CEO of MMC Ireland, an audience address from James Browne, T.D., Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and a speech from Marian Harkin, T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

From Left to Right: Paul Tierney, CEO MMC Ireland, Minister of State Miriam Harkin, Sarah-Jane Pisciotti, Sisk; and Darren Richards, MC for the event. 

Throughout the day, the sessions explored key themes including:

• Governmental Collaboration and Policy Progress
• Workforce Transformation and Skills Development
• Product and System Standardisation in Construction
• Industrialised Construction and Innovation

As part of the Governmental Collaboration and Policy Progress session, Linda Kane, a senior economist with the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs Secretariat, based in the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, and Sarah-Jane Pisciotti, Innovation and Design Director at SISK Group and Chair of the MMC Skills Implementation Oversight Group (IOG), jointly presented on the progress to date of the MMC Skills Action Plan.

Linda Kane, Expert Group on Future Skills Needs Secretariat	Sarah-Jane Pisciotti, SISK Group and Chair of the MMC Skills IOG

The MMC Skills Action Plan was published in June 2025 by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and sets out a whole-of-Government approach to transforming how we build in Ireland. Developed in collaboration with education, industry, and Government partners, the Plan includes 58 actions to accelerate skills development, drive innovation, and support the transition to more efficient, sustainable construction. The Action Plan arose from the July 2024 report by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs on the current and future skills requirements for the transition to MMC.

From Left to Right: Paul Tierney, CEO MMC Ireland, Linda Kane, Expert Group on Future Skills Needs Secretariat, Sarah-Jane Pisciotti, Sisk, and Pat Kirwan, Reddy Architecture.  

Across policy, skills, standardisation and innovation, the 2026 Transforming Construction in Ireland conference showcased a sector that is rapidly aligning around MMC as the pathway to delivering housing and infrastructure at scale. With broad engagement from government, industry and academia, delegates left Meath with a shared sense of momentum – and a clear mandate for collaboration in the year ahead.