The construction industry faces systemic challenge in adopting emerging technologies, limiting its ability to harness digital innovations for operational efficiency and global competitiveness. While Digital Construction Centres of Excellence (CoEs) are increasingly proposed as strategic hubs to unify stakeholders and accelerate transformation, the challenges of establishing such centres remain underexplored in both research and practice. This study aims to identify challenges to establish effective National Digital Construction CoEs. Through qualitative methodologies, semi-structured interviews were conducted with global experts, including senior R&D professionals, industry leaders, and academicians experienced in digital construction. Experts were purposively selected to represent diverse stakeholder perspectives. Thematic analysis was conducted on interview transcripts and revealed five challenges: (1) Financial (2) Cultural (3) Workforce (4) Governance (5) Technological. These findings highlight the interdependence challenges, emphasising the need for holistic strategies tailored to diverse institutional and regional contexts. By synthesising perspectives from global experts, this study provides policymakers and stakeholders with critical insights to prioritise interventions, foster cross-industry collaboration, and design adaptable frameworks for CoEs. The results contribute to broader discourse on digital transformation by mapping universal challenges and underscoring the importance of context-sensitive approaches to advance construction innovation.