CRESME RESEARCH CENTRE: SYNTHETIC DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTIVITIES

CRESME is a non-profit association created in 1962 in favour of promotion and information on construction industry and territory transformations. Its purpose is to carry out researches and studies and to favour meetings between public and private operators. Due to numerous and complex requests, the CRESME Research Centre ( joint-stock company controlled by the Cresme Association ) was created in 1982.

CRESME carries out surveys and analyses regarding:

• aspects of production and market in the constructions field;
• territorial structures and transformations, with relative economic, urban and social implications;
• administration in public bodies, also by means of feasibility studies of definite solutions and an active participation to their management;
• training of professional profiles within the framework of territorial-transformation and facility-management processes.

CRESME is internally specialised in: statistical, economic, urban, juridical and sociological aspects. These allow interaction between different subject-matters of major interest to the Centre. All this is facilitated by the extent and variety of the association (over 150 share holders representing the whole constructions field) and of interlocutors that normally refer to the CRESME Ricerche S.p.a.

During its 40 years of activities, CRESME has acquired and developed both a scientific and cultural experience. This guarantees an accurate and correct supply of information, evolution of methods and instruments of research.

A constant updating of this resource is made possible by means of two strategic bearings, which regulate the Centre's activity:

• a permanent observation of complexities and changes in both the construction industry and the territorial transformations;
• the development of scientific and cultural activities where CRESME acts as a connection link between different operators, experiences and subject-matters which are implied in processes of territorial transformations.

Research studies by thematic area and information systems represent the methods and tools across the whole CRESME research activity.

The CRESME activities are mostly addressed to the following fields of action:

• Environment and sustainability
• Structural analysis
• Territorial analysis
• Assistance to Public Administrations
• Current trend and forecast
• Facility management
• Training
• Strategic marketing
• Feasibility studies

CRESME has traditionally provided assistance and support especially to local administrations and autonomous associations acting as a coordinator.

CRESME is a founding member of EUROCONSTRUCT, the European Association established in 1975 consisting of nineteen European research institutions specialised in the construction economy.

Every six months, EUROCONSTRUCT organises a conference in a European capital. During the Conference, medium-term forecasts are presented for the different segments of the construction sector - residential, non-residential, and civil engineering - and for the individual European countries belonging to EUROCONSTRUCT.