Construction: trends, factors and constraints in the context of the country’s strategic development priorities

Introduction. The pace and direction of development of the construction sector should correspond to the country’s strategic development priorities and ensure the achievement of results established by state strategic planning documents. The article analyzes the current state and prospects of development of the Russian construction industry in the context of the country’s strategic development priorities, identifies the main growth drivers and factors of slowing down the construction industry. The purpose of the paper is to assess the ability of the construction industry to meet the needs of the economy and solve strategic development tasks of the country. Materials and methods. The research is based on the analysis of strategic planning documents, macroeconomic parameters and the current state of the industry. The main methods used are: analysis of regulatory and methodological documents of strategic planning; analysis of statistical data; comparative analysis; analysis of the implementation and management experience of state programmes and projects; generalization and systematization of the studied information. Results. The Russian construction sector is showing steady growth: the volume of construction work has increased by 31 per- cent over the past five years, the national projects “Housing and Urban Environment”, “Safe High-quality Roads” are being successfully implemented, and the groundwork for the long-term progressive development of the region has been formed. At the same time, the record levels of commissioning achieved in housing construction are accompanied by a trend towards a decrease in the average area and room capacity of apartments; significant differentiation in the commissioning of both residential and non-residential buildings in the regional context remains; the volume of construction in progress is increasing, and there is a tendency to reduce capital productivity. Conclusions. I dentification and comprehensive analysis of both external and internal factors that determine the dynamics of construction and shape trends in this area will improve the quality of strategic planning and develop adequate measures to respond to emerging problems. The integration of such measures into state projects and programmes in the construction sector will minimize the negative impact of factors and will contribute to the achievement of national development goals of the country.