Interview with Gilles Mailet, master electrician and President of the Electrical Trades at CAPEB

At the Digital Twin / BIM World trade show, Gilles Mailet, president of the Electrical Trades division at CAPEB, discusses the organization's commitment to innovation in the building trades. Between digital transformation, the rise of BIM, and the emergence of AI, he details the challenges and opportunities for small businesses, while reaffirming the central role of human expertise.

Batinfo: Can you introduce yourself and present CAPEB and its missions?

Gilles MAILET: I am Gilles MAILET, a master electrician, and I head a company with 11 employees, co-managing it with my wife and a colleague who joined the co-management team 15 months ago. I have been President of the Electrical Trades branch at CAPEB since 2022, a member of the Board of Directors, and a leader in innovation.

The Confederation of Craft Trades and Small Building Enterprises (CAPEB) is a representative employers' organization for all building companies. It is the largest employers' organization in the building trades (i.e., companies registered in the trade directory, whether or not they employ staff). CAPEB is the leading professional organization in France in terms of membership (62,000 companies). As such, it represents: 526,100 companies, or 96% of building companies, employing between 1 and 10 employees; 541,000 employees, or 42% of the workforce, including 14% women; 59,200 apprentices trained in the building sector; and almost half of the building sector's revenue (47%).

Batinfo: Can you explain your role in the ConstructionTech Village this year?

Gilles MAILET: As part of its Innovation program, which aims to support small businesses in choosing and adopting innovative solutions, a partnership has been established between CAPEB and CCCA-BTP, through its startup incubator, WinLab'. On this occasion, around ten startups have been identified to address the major challenges facing small businesses: the sector's low-carbon transition, the ecological transition, housing renovation (energy efficiency as well as accessibility), difficulties in recruiting labor, the attractiveness of the trades, improved working conditions, and improved construction quality. These startups, present in the ConstructionTech village at the Digital Twin / BIM World trade show, are receiving mentorship. This step is essential: it allows our innovation ambassadors to identify, meet, and evaluate them, in preparation for the next phase of the program, which will take place during our Trades Meetings in Marseille.

Batinfo: Can you tell us more about this program, the partnership, and its next steps?

Gilles MAILET: The roadmap for this program, which will be presented at the Digital Twin / BIM World trade show, during the conference on April 1st at 10:30 am on the CCCA-BTP TV set within the ConstructionTech Village, by our president Jean-Christophe Repon, is structured around three major stages.

The first step involves CAPEB's participation, for the first time, in the Digital Twin / BIM World trade show, on April 1st and 2nd, 2026 at the Porte de Versailles Exhibition Center, within the ConstructionTech Village. This event will allow for an initial selection of startups identified to address the challenges faced by small businesses in the construction sector.

The second stage will take place during the CAPEB Trades Meetings, held in Marseille from June 24 to 26. Startups identified at Digital Twin / BIM World will be presented and evaluated to arrive at a final selection. They will then be tested during the summer by our innovation ambassadors and volunteer tradespeople to assess their relevance and effectiveness in real-world conditions.

The highlight of the program will take place during the BATIMAT trade fair, from September 28 to October 1, 2026. Workshops and discussion sessions will be organized in the CAPEB and WinLab' spaces to highlight the initiatives supported by the network and to promote meetings with the selected start-ups.

Batinfo: What role do digital technology, BIM and artificial intelligence play today in small construction businesses?

Gilles MAILET: We have been involved for several years in innovations related to digital technology and BIM, particularly through public transition plans for the sector, and today we are interested in artificial intelligence.

AI represents a concrete opportunity for craft businesses: it can facilitate the integration of BIM and simplify certain administrative tasks that are often time-consuming.

However, it does not call our trades into question. It will not replace either the skill or the know-how. Craft businesses will always need labor and will continue to provide jobs.

Batinfo: What are your latest news?

Gilles MAILET: 2026 holds particular significance for CAPEB and the building tradespeople it represents. CAPEB will celebrate its 80th anniversary, 80 years of action in service of building tradespeople. This will be an opportunity to reflect on the battles CAPEB has won, which have been decisive in shaping our sector. This anniversary will also give us the chance to reiterate that our craft businesses have a bright future ahead of them. Their crucial role in meeting energy, economic, and societal challenges, their impact on the vitality and cohesion of local communities, and the values they embody, which resonate strongly with the aspirations of younger generations, make them essential players in the coming decades. Faced with a demanding economic environment, our businesses can no longer be hampered by daily constraints that negatively impact their performance. This is why the Innovation program developed by CAPEB is a key element in ensuring the sustainability of our businesses in the years to come.

Interview with Gilles MAILET, master electrician and President of the Electrical Trades at CAPEB (LinkedIn).