Asia’s construction sector is confronting a growing workforce and skills shortage that threatens the delivery of high-value infrastructure and megaprojects. Rapid urbanisation, expanding cross-border infrastructure programmes, limited technical training pipelines and intense competition for specialised professionals are creating a critical labour gap. For owners, contractors and insurers, this scarcity directly impacts project feasibility, cost certainty, schedule delivery and insurability, particularly on complex, high-stakes programmes.

This session examines how workforce constraints are reshaping risk allocation across contracts, project governance and underwriting scrutiny in the region. Panelists will explore forward-looking strategies for mitigating labour-related risk, including early-stage workforce modelling, supply chain and subcontractor audits, productivity-enhancing technologies, scenario planning and proactive engagement with insurers to strengthen workforce resilience. Attendees will gain actionable insights on managing talent risk to safeguard project delivery, maintain investor confidence and secure robust insurance coverage in Asia’s most ambitious construction programmes.