AI-driven building intelligence and regulatory transformation are set to reshape the global homes and buildings industry this year, according to market-watcher Frost & Sullivan.

The analysis highlights growth opportunities in smart building management, construction technology, home energy management and intelligent infrastructure.

It reveals that the convergence of AI, tightening regulatory requirements and accelerating demand for critical infrastructure is creating a new growth cycle across the global homes and buildings industry. Against this backdrop, the global homes and buildings industry is forecast to generate between $2.03tn and $2.10tn in revenue this year, representing year-over-year growth of 4.0% to 7.7%.

Among the most significant opportunities identified are agentic AI-powered smart buildings, unified building intelligence platforms and intelligent adaptive lighting. Together, these innovations are accelerating the shift from hardware-centric offerings to data-driven, outcome-based services.

“Buildings are evolving from passive assets into intelligent, adaptive ecosystems capable of autonomous decision-making, predictive optimisation and continuous performance improvement,” said Anirudh Bhaskaran, industry analyst at Frost & Sullivan. “Organisations that successfully combine AI-driven intelligence, connected infrastructure and regulatory readiness will be best positioned to capitalise on emerging growth opportunities and create long-term competitive advantage.”

Supporting this outlook, Frost & Sullivan identifies several technology trends that will shape industry growth this year.

“Our top predictions for 2026 include the rapid adoption of edge-native, agentic AI-driven HVAC systems, growing demand for building energy management in small and medium-sized buildings, increasing investment in data centre infrastructure, and strong growth in smart and connected lighting technologies,” Bhaskaran said.

The revised EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) is also expected to stimulate demand for building automation, lighting controls, indoor air quality options and energy services throughout Europe’s retrofit market.

The analysis identifies several high-growth segments across the industry. Construction management, including digital twins, AI-powered collaboration platforms, robotics and automation technologies, are expected to achieve some of the strongest growth rates. Smart building management platforms, home energy management systems and integrated facility management are also benefiting from increasing demand for operational efficiency, decarbonisation and resilience.

Demand for critical infrastructure, particularly AI-driven data centres, continues to emerge as a major growth catalyst. Rising power requirements, accelerated digitalisation and increasing deployment of hyperscale computing facilities are driving investment in HVAC systems, electrical infrastructure, building automation and energy management technologies.

Alongside technological innovation and infrastructure investment, regulatory compliance is becoming an increasingly important competitive differentiator. Bhaskaran noted that tightening regulations – including the EU Cyber Resilience Act, Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, batteries regulation and revised construction products regulation – would require companies to strengthen cyber-security, sustainability and compliance capabilities across their product portfolios and supply chains.

For more information, visit store.frost.com/growth-opportunities-in-global-homes-and-buildings-industry-2026.html.