Trade associations in Nordic construction – their role in procurement and project delivery

A trade association is a not-for-profit organization made up of companies and/or individuals with common interests or who work in the same industry. They act as a representative body for the industry they represent. As the ‘industry voice’, trade associations speak on behalf of their members to government, agencies, regulators, the media, and other opinion formers. There are several trade associations connected to the construction industry in all Nordic countries. The purpose of this paper is to investigate what role they play in improving procurement and project delivery in the Nordic countries. Based on interviews with trade association representatives across all Nordic countries, the paper maps their structures, roles, and strategies for involving in procurement and project delivery across the construction industry in each country. Similarities and differences are analysed and discussed considering the situation in each country. The result shows that trade associations have important and similar roles in each country, motivated by the wish to support their members. The first observation is that most trade associations across the Nordics are actively involved in developing procurement trends and knowledge accumulation. The motivation for engaging in procurement and project delivery is the well-being of members. They all depend on fair competition and access to market, and they all need to be associated with successful projects. The second observation is that it seems generally accepted across the trade associations that it is important to promote more collaborative procurement strategies and project delivery methods. The third observation is that all trade associations across the Nordics take an active role in gathering, analysing, and distributing knowledge and experiences connected to this development. Dissemination is both possible and probable through the trade associations effort.