CECE Congress 2026 Brings Europe’s Construction Equipment Leaders to London
More than 150 senior figures from Europe’s construction equipment industry will gather at IET Savoy Place in London from 27 to 29 October for CECE Congress 2026, bringing manufacturers, associations, economists and industry specialists together to discuss the economic, technological and competitive pressures facing the sector.
With the UK hosting the biennial Congress during Phil Layton’s presidency of CECE, the Construction Equipment Association (CEA) is leading delivery of the event on behalf of the Committee for European Construction Equipment.
Ahead of the Congress, Layton spoke about the thinking behind the programme, the choice of London, the industry’s competitiveness and why the conversations surrounding the formal sessions may prove every bit as useful as the presentations themselves.
Briefing
- CECE Congress 2026 takes place at IET Savoy Place, London, from 27 to 29 October.
- More than 150 senior construction equipment industry figures from across Europe are expected.
- The 2026 theme is Create • Innovate • Inspire.
- The programme covers economics, European manufacturing, competitiveness, technology, leadership and skills.
- The Congress is open to CEA members and non-members.
For anyone unfamiliar with it, what is the CECE Congress and why does it matter now?
“The CECE Congress is one of the few occasions when the European construction equipment industry can step back from immediate business pressures and look properly at the forces shaping its future.
“Manufacturers are dealing with economic uncertainty, changing regulation, skills shortages, technology investment, global competition and a rapidly shifting political landscape. Those issues affect every business, but they cannot be solved company by company or country by country.
“The Congress brings together industry leaders, policy voices, technical experts and people from outside our sector who can challenge how we think. It is a place for the industry to test ideas, understand the wider picture and make better decisions about what comes next.”
Why is London the right host city for 2026?
“London gives the Congress the right setting because this is an international industry facing international issues.
“The UK remains an important manufacturing, engineering and construction equipment market, and hosting the Congress here is an opportunity to bring European colleagues together at a time when the UK-EU relationship, trade, regulation and industrial competitiveness remain very much on the agenda.
“It also sends the right message. Europe’s construction equipment industry is strongest when it is outward-looking, connected and prepared to work together. London is a major global meeting point, and it gives us a strong platform for a Congress focused on the future of European industry.”
This year’s theme is Create • Innovate • Inspire. What does that mean in practice?
“For me, it is about what businesses must do to remain competitive.
“Create is about finding better ways to solve problems, develop people and build value. Innovation rarely begins with technology alone; it starts with ideas, curiosity and the confidence to challenge established ways of working.
“Innovate is about turning those ideas into industrial advantage. That means more productive factories, more capable machinery, stronger supply chains, better use of data and technology that delivers a genuine return.
“Inspire is about people. Our sector needs engineers, technicians, digital specialists, operators and leaders. We need to make a much stronger case for the careers and opportunities this industry can offer.”
The theme runs through the programme. Jason Bevan, former Head of Creative Development and Vice President of European Marketing at Warner Bros. Pictures, will explore creativity, innovation and how organisations respond to change, including the growing role of artificial intelligence. The Inspire strand continues with a dedicated panel on skills, education and attracting new talent into the sector.
The programme brings in voices from well beyond construction equipment. Who will delegates actually hear from?
“The Congress will tackle the issues businesses are already dealing with: geopolitical volatility, the outlook for European manufacturing, industrial competitiveness, technology, leadership, skills and market conditions.
“These are not distant policy discussions. They shape investment decisions, product development, supply chains, recruitment and the confidence businesses have to plan ahead.
“The programme is designed to bring together different perspectives, including economists, manufacturing leaders, industry figures and voices from outside construction equipment. That matters because our industry cannot keep looking at the same challenges through the same lens.”
The programme includes Joe Nellis, Emeritus Professor of Global Economy, who will examine the global and European economic outlook. Lieutenant Colonel Stewart Hill, a former British Army officer whose career was cut short by a life-changing injury sustained on operations in Afghanistan, will close the first day with a keynote on resilience and leadership.
Sessions will be moderated by Riccardo Viaggi, Secretary General of CECE.
What should delegates expect to take away?
“Delegates should come away with a sharper understanding of the environment their business is operating in, new ideas they can apply, and contacts that will remain valuable long after the Congress ends.
“No business should be setting its strategy based on headlines, assumptions or a narrow view of its own market. The Congress gives people direct access to informed perspectives on the issues influencing our sector across Europe.
“It also creates the space for conversations that do not happen in the normal working week: honest discussions between manufacturers, associations, suppliers, policy experts and industry partners. Those discussions can influence how businesses think, collaborate and move forward.”
A Welcome Reception at IET Savoy Place opens the Congress, while the Gala Dinner will take delegates onto the Thames for an evening cruise through central London.
Viki Bell, CEO of the CEA, said: “The Congress is as much about the conversations around the sessions as it is the content itself. Bringing senior people from across Europe together creates a valuable environment for discussion, connection and shared thinking. The Gala Dinner on the Thames will be a highlight — a chance to see London from the river while spending proper time with industry colleagues.”
Finally, why should the industry not miss CECE Congress 2026?
“Because the decisions shaping our industry are being made now.
“Businesses are having to respond to changing markets, regulation, global competition, technology, skills and investment pressures, often at the same time. Standing still is not an option, and neither is looking at those issues in isolation.
“CECE Congress 2026 puts manufacturers, association leaders, economists, technical experts and policy voices from across Europe in the same room. It is the place to hear what is affecting the sector, compare experience and help shape how the industry moves forward.
“For anyone serious about construction equipment, London is the place to be in October.”
CECE Congress 2026 takes place from 27 to 29 October at IET Savoy Place, London. It is open to CEA members and non-members, with tickets available for the full programme.
Key Industry Questions
- When is CECE Congress 2026? The Congress runs from 27 to 29 October 2026.
- Where is CECE Congress 2026 being held? At IET Savoy Place in central London.
- Who organises the CECE Congress? The Congress is held by CECE, the Committee for European Construction Equipment. For the 2026 London event, the CEA is leading delivery on CECE’s behalf.
- Who is expected to attend? More than 150 senior figures from Europe’s construction equipment industry are expected, alongside speakers and specialists covering economics, manufacturing, technology, skills and leadership.
- What is the theme for 2026? The theme is Create • Innovate • Inspire, with the programme examining creativity and industrial innovation alongside technology, competitiveness and workforce development.
- Is CECE Congress 2026 only for CEA members? No. The event is open to both CEA members and non-members.
- What issues will the Congress address? The programme includes geopolitical volatility, European manufacturing, industrial competitiveness, technology, economic conditions, leadership and skills.
- Who are some of the speakers? The announced programme includes Joe Nellis, Jason Bevan and Lieutenant Colonel Stewart Hill, with sessions moderated by CECE Secretary General Riccardo Viaggi.
Strategic Takeaways
- European construction equipment manufacturers are having to address regulation, technology investment, skills and international competitiveness simultaneously rather than as separate issues.
- The London Congress places the UK within a wider European industrial discussion at a time when trade, regulation and UK-EU relations remain relevant to manufacturers.
- Skills are being treated alongside technology and economics as a competitiveness issue rather than simply a recruitment problem.
- Bringing speakers from outside construction equipment gives delegates an opportunity to compare the industry’s assumptions with experience from economics, creative industries and leadership.
- The Congress is structured as much around access to peers and industry discussion as formal conference content.
