Samsung C&T's Construction Chief Sets 2026 Agenda: AI, DT, Portfolio Shift, Zero Serious Accidents
Oh Se-chul, president and CEO of Samsung C&T's construction division, opened the year with a direct brief: break inertia, move fast, use AI and digital transformation to sharpen competitiveness, and treat safety as the top management principle. The message is simple-2026 needs visible progress on new growth, with diversification and energy-led opportunities front and center.
For general contractors, developers, and EPC leaders, this is a clear signal. The bar is moving from "pilot" to "delivery," from talk of digital to measurable efficiency, and from compliance-level safety to eliminating serious incidents.
Oh Se-chul, president and CEO of the construction division at Samsung C&T. Courtesy of Samsung C&T.
What Samsung C&T is prioritizing
- Break through organizational inertia with decisive execution.
- Strengthen competitiveness around technology-AI and DT as core levers, not side projects.
- Diversify the business portfolio and produce results in new lines tied to growing energy demand.
- Adopt safety as the top management principle and eliminate serious accidents at the source.
Why this matters to construction and real estate leaders
Margins will favor firms that turn data into faster design cycles, tighter schedules, and cleaner execution. Owners are asking for predictability; lenders are watching risk. Digital and AI are now schedule, cost, and safety tools-not just IT spend.
A practical 2026 execution plan
- Data baseline: Standardize models, quantities, and site logs so AI can actually work. No clean data, no results.
- Design and precon: Use AI for quantity takeoffs, clash detection, and value engineering shortlists. Lock scope earlier to cut change orders.
- Field control: Apply computer vision for progress tracking and QA/QC. Tie daily reports to a single S-curve and auto-flag delays.
- Procurement: Predict long-lead risks and price swings; set sourcing scenarios before bid day.
- PMO governance: A weekly digital control room-standard dashboards, variance thresholds, and clear escalation paths.
- People: Upskill supers, planners, and estimators on AI tools that save hours weekly, not just "innovation teams." See AI courses by job function.
Safety as a non-negotiable
Oh's priority is clear: zero serious incidents. Treat safety like schedule and cost-with leading indicators, not just lagging reports.
- Adopt a certified management system (e.g., ISO 45001) and verify it at the site level.
- Near-miss capture and rapid corrective action within 48 hours.
- Use AI/computer vision to flag PPE gaps, fall risks, and unsafe zones in real time.
- Make supervisors accountable for daily safety walkdowns tied to punch-list style closeout.
Where growth likely sits
Energy demand is rising, and with it, capital for assets that move, store, and optimize power. Expect activity in grid upgrades, renewables balance-of-plant, storage, industrial electrification, and data-heavy facilities.
Diversification doesn't mean chasing everything. It means picking segments where your delivery model, partners, and cost curve can actually win bids-and then building repeatable playbooks.
Metrics that prove progress
- Bid-to-win rate in new segments and average margin spread vs. target.
- Design cycle time, change order volume, and rework rate.
- Schedule adherence and look-ahead reliability at the crew level.
- TRIR/DART and serious incident frequency, reported weekly.
- Digital/AI tool adoption and measurable hours saved per role.
What to do this quarter
- Pick three AI use cases with fast payback (e.g., takeoffs, progress tracking, submittal review). Pilot on two jobs and baseline the hours saved.
- Lock a data standard for models, RFIs, submittals, and daily logs across all new projects.
- Stand up a safety "red list" of top five site risks and verify controls weekly.
- Shortlist two energy-adjacent segments and build a pursuit kit: references, partners, cost libraries, and risk playbooks.
Bottom line
The message from Samsung C&T's construction chief is blunt: move faster, let AI and DT show real efficiencies, diversify with intent, and put safety first. If you can measure it weekly and the field can use it daily, you're on the right track.
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