The Top Stories in Construction: Intuit QuickBooks & NVIDIA

Intuit QuickBooks: Helping Construction Firms Scale to £1m

For construction SMEs, cash flow is the make-or-break factor. Being owed money on invoices overdue by more than 30 days significantly raises the risk of cash flow failure – and many firms spend up to 30 hours every month just chasing payments.

While automation cuts manual work, AI can go further: helping construction businesses to anticipate issues before they arise and execute faster.

Intuit QuickBooks’ whitepaper – Five Tips and Tricks to Becoming a £1m Business – finds that companies scaling past £1m (US$1.35m) are not just good at delivering projects; they are great at managing money. They know their market, spot new opportunities and suppliers and understand when to invest or pull back.

Inside Central Africa’s First Modular Office Project

A significant development in African construction unfolded on 5 January, when China International Marine Containers (CIMC) dispatched the inaugural phase of its Office Building Project destined for Yaoundé's Bastos District in Cameroon.

The project could mark a watershed moment for Central Africa, introducing modular construction methodologies to a region where such techniques have never been deployed.

Why Is J&J Investing US$4bn in New Pharma Manufacturing?

Johnson & Johnson has announced a significant construction programme as part of a voluntary agreement with the Trump Administration, committing billions of dollars to build new pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities across the United States.

The expansion includes a next-generation cell therapy manufacturing site in Pennsylvania and a state-of-the-art drug product facility in North Carolina, representing a major boost for the construction sector and regional economies.

The agreement between the global healthcare company, and the US President Donald Trump's administration, centres on reducing medication costs, while simultaneously expanding domestic manufacturing capabilities.

World's Tallest: How Jeddah Tower Surpassed 80-Floor Mark

The skyline along Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast is experiencing significant transformation as the Jeddah Tower officially moves past the 80-floor mark.

The important milestone, confirmed on 6 January, 2026, signals that the world's first "kilometre-high" structure is no longer a distant concept, but a rapidly advancing reality shaped by engineering excellence and logistical coordination.

Following a seven-year pause that began in 2018, the project – formerly known as the Kingdom Tower – resumed full-scale operations in January 2025. Since then, the construction site has become a centre of industrial activity, advancing at what engineers describe as a "blistering" pace.

The Jeddah Tower serves as the centrepiece of the broader Jeddah Economic City, a 57-million-square-foot development designed to reposition the Kingdom as a premier global hub for business and luxury tourism.

Designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill, the firm behind Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the structure is engineered to reach a final height of at least 1,008 metres.

Caterpillar & NVIDIA: Expand Physical AI for Manufacturing

Caterpillar and NVIDIA are expanding a collaboration to enhance manufacturing systems through physical AI.

The partnership focuses on deploying next-generation technology across construction, mining and power equipment used in factories around the world.

Joe Creed, CEO of Caterpillar, says: “As AI moves beyond data to reshape the physical world, it is unlocking new opportunities for innovation.