Competencies of construction professionals to perform circular economy practices: a systematic review

Abstract

The urgent shift towards sustainable construction is not merely a technical endeavour but also a transformation in professional practices. Central to this transformation is the Circular Economy (CE), which champions resource efficiency, design for reuse, and waste minimisation. Despite this, the successful implementation of CE in the construction sector hinges on professionals equipped with the required and evolving competencies. Hence, this research aims to investigate the competencies required by construction professionals to perform CE practices. To achieve this aim, the study synthesises fragmented literature to construct a cohesive and comprehensive understanding of CE competencies of construction professionals. A systematic literature review was conducted using 29 articles, applying the PRISMA framework and the Scopus database, and employing both content and descriptive analyses. The analysis revealed a rich compilation of competencies, clustered into several categories including critical and creative thinking, project coordination and interface, and software and data proficiency. Moreover, it identifies profession-specific competencies for key roles such as project managers, engineers, architects, BIM managers, and quantity surveyors. However, the findings also underscore a considerable gap in both geographic and professional representation, highlighting the marginalisation of certain regions and roles in existing CE literature. Finally, this study offers a common and profession-specific compilation of CE competencies, which can guide academia in curriculum development, inform industry training programs, and support policymakers in designing frameworks to accelerate CE adoption across the built environment.