Looking at global developments, the majority of the building stock in the Global North require major renovation and significant demands exist for new built of affordable houses and replacement of critical infrastructures, whereas looking at the Global South approximately 75 % of the buildings existing in 2050 still need to be built. This massive need for construction, demographic developments and the environmental impact of current way of construction, shows that we need to do more with less people and less environmental impact. New developments in materials and material re-use, industrialization and digitalization (in principle) enable the construction sector to do so. Collaboration, standardization, scale-up and capacity building is needed to make it the standard way of working. Examples from National and European developments on circular and industrial construction will be shown, with emphasis on new, biobased materials, circular-CLT, the use of digital tools and Life Cycle Analysis (Whole Life Cycle CO2 impact by buildings and infrastructures). In addition, possible ways of public-private, multi-lateral and global collaboration will be highlighted. By transforming how we design, build, operate, and renovate globally, the construction sector becomes the backbone of a secure and sustainable society, with affordable housing for all.