Is MMC the silver bullet to solving Ireland’s housing and infrastructural deficit?

<p dir="ltr">The term “Modern Methods of Construction” (MMC) has recently gained prominence within construction management circles, with several events and publications referencing this theme and linking it with improving efficiency and sustainability. While its recent resurgence is applaudable, construction has been renowned for being resistant to change, thus making the question of whether MMC is a novel approach to construction or recycled idea. This study delves into how and why MMC techniques are gaining popularity despite the underlying concepts of offsite manufacturing, prefabrication and modular construction being over hundred (100) years old. Via a systematic review, this paper reviews research within the construction management field over the last twenty (20) years using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses). The findings from the study shows that unlike other novel construction technologies, the elements of MMC such as inter-modular connections and earthquake resilient prefabricated structures have been used for almost two decades. This brings into question the novelty of MMC despite its touted benefits of optimising material use and reducing lifecycle impacts. This study agrees that the future of MMC looks promising and has potential for increased adoption within construction in Ireland, however, the notion of novelty of MMC is questionable as a MMC appears to be rather an agglomeration of construction techniques rather than an innovative approach to construction. Additionally, we conclude that Ireland has a dearth of research into MMC and there is now justification for more empirical studies into MMC applied to the Irish context.</p>