2021-2025 Engineering Industry Forecast

The ACEC Research Institute commissioned a series of studies – the Industry Impact Series – to profile and analyze performance in the Engineering and Design Services Industry (A/E Services). The series was conducted by Rockport Analytics, an independent market and economic research firm using both publicly and privately available data, as well as proprietary analysis. The study aims to describe, measure, and demonstrate the indispensable partnership between engineering, architects, and other design services to deliver the built environment of the United States. The built environment refers to all human-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity, ranging in scale from buildings and parks/green space to neighborhoods and cities including their supporting infrastructure, such as water supply or energy networks.

The overarching goals of this research are to:

Establish a definition of the Engineering & Design Services sector based upon published recurring data that can be continuously updated and called upon to track performance for ACEC’s many constituencies.

Provide a comprehensive view of the size, growth, and composition of the engineering and related professional services sector using the most current and comprehensive data available. This is covered in the first report, the 2020 Engineering Industry Profile, which can be found here.

Measure the economic contribution of the Engineering & Design Services industry using established metrics found in virtually all industry economic impact analysis. The second report, 2020 Engineering Industry Economic Contribution, can also be found here.

This report focuses on analyzing the key economic drivers of the Engineering & Design Services sector, building a statistical model using the strongest correlations between Engineering & Design Services performance and those drivers, and constructing a recurring industry outlook. The outlook and modeling assets can be used to forecast future Engineering & Design Services performance and evaluate scenarios surrounding policy, geopolitical, and other future conditions.

This research is intended to be of value to ACEC members and their constituents. It will provide industry insight to members and can be leveraged as a planning and educational resource. It will also assist ACEC advocacy, communications, and other outreach efforts.

The full report, 2021-2025 Engineering Industry Forecast, is available for download by clicking here.