The future of sustainable modular manufacturing

The industry in transition: The future of sustainable modular manufacturing

5 min read | Published 22nd October 2025 | Updated 22nd October 2025 | Dan Pollard

Our Production Director, Dan Pollard, talks the future of sustainability in modular manufacturing, and how the industry is transforming.

Using digital tools plays a part in sustainable modular manufacturing

The modular manufacturing industry in transition

The modular manufacturing sector is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades. Traditional methods are giving way to manufacturing-led approaches, driven by innovation, tighter regulation, and the pressing demand for sustainable outcomes.

Sustainability is no longer a strategic option or an ESG soundbite. It has become the baseline expectation of clients, regulators, and society.

At Thurston Group, we are not passively observing this transition. We are actively shaping it. Across all our facilities, our teams are proving week after week that industrialised, modular construction can be faster, cleaner, and smarter, while simultaneously delivering measurable environmental and commercial benefits.

Innovations that will shape the next decade of modular manufacturing

Several key technologies and approaches will define the modular construction industry in the coming years:

  • AI and digital manufacturing systems – enabling real-time tracking of efficiency and quality, eliminating waste, and driving continuous improvement. Our paperless adoption already provides live data that guides production decisions.
  • Robotics and automation – taking on precision cutting, welding, and assembly to reduce risk, standardise quality, and free up skilled labour for higher-value work.
  • Digital twins and simulation – virtually modelling projects before production begins, optimising sequencing, energy performance, and material usage.
  • Pre-kitted components – not headline-grabbing, but critical. Precision cut, ready-to-install kits reduce waste, cut rework, and accelerate production.

    • Materials and technologies going mainstream in construction

    By 2035, we can expect:

    • Low-carbon steel and green concrete to become the default, not the exception.
    • Recyclable, modular components designed for disassembly, embedding circularity into construction.
    • Renewable-ready designs, solar-integrated roofs, EV charging infrastructure, and energy storage built in from the outset.
    • Smart building fabrics that regulate temperature, improve insulation, and even generate energy.

      • At Thurston Group, we are already aligning with this future by rationalising materials, reducing waste, and embedding sustainable procurement practices

      Regulation as a catalyst

      The Building Safety Act and embodied carbon reporting requirements are reshaping the industry. With incentives for net-zero delivery almost certain to follow, adoption will accelerate. Factories that can evidence sustainability through a digital golden thread will set the pace.

      Looking ahead to 2040

      The modular manufacturing industry of 2040 will look radically different:

      • Factories powered entirely by renewables.
      • Buildings designed for long life, then recycled into future projects.
      • AI-driven production lines flexing instantly to demand.
      • Entire communities delivered with minimal carbon impact, in half the time of traditional construction.

        • This isn’t aspirational rhetoric. It is the trajectory we are already on.

        Lessons from overseas – What global leaders teach us

        One of the advantages of working across the UK, Ireland, France, the UAE, America, and beyond is seeing first-hand how different regions approach modular manufacturing. Some lessons have been inspiring, others cautionary.

        • Scandinavia proves what’s possible when sustainability is built into regulation and culture from the outset, circular design and low-carbon materials are simply standard practice.
        • Japan demonstrates the value of precision: its relentless focus on flow, quality, and efficiency is something every modular factory can learn from.
        • But I’ve also seen the challenges. In the Middle East, state-of-the-art automation sat idle because teams weren’t trained or empowered to use it. In Eastern Europe, projects collapsed under poor planning, weak digital integration, and procurement focused solely on cost rather than lifecycle value.

          • The lesson is clear: technology alone doesn’t guarantee success. The winners will be those who combine digital systems, cultural buy-in, skilled people, and a relentless focus on delivery.

          The human factor – Skills for a digital future

          For all the talk of robotics, AI, and automation, people remain the engine of change. Sustainable modular manufacturing isn’t about replacing the workforce, it’s about upskilling and empowering them.

          At Thurston Group, we see the factory of the future as a place where digital tools amplify human expertise rather than replace it. Our teams are already adapting:

          • Operating digital tracking systems.
          • Working with pre-kitted components.
          • Collaborating across design, procurement, and production in ways that would have been unthinkable a decade ago.

            • The skills of the future will be hybrid, part traditional craft, part digital fluency. Investing in this transition is critical if we want this transformation to last.

            Our role at Thurston Group

            Innovation only matters if it translates into delivery. At Thurston Group, we have always been builders first. Our mission is to ensure sustainable innovation does not remain a concept for conference slides but becomes a lived reality on the factory floor.

            By embedding digital tools, driving operational efficiency, and empowering our people, we are proving that industrialised modular manufacturing is the future of sustainable construction.

            The challenge for our industry is clear: don’t just talk about the future. Build it.

            And that is exactly what we are doing.

            Want to work with an innovative construction partner? Get in touch with our team.

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