Connectivity throughout the building life cycle

Preparations for digitalBAU 2024, taking place from February 20 to 22, 2024 at the Cologne trade fair grounds, are in full swing. The trade fair addresses the transformation of the construction industry into a digital, networked, and forward-looking key industry for Germany, Europe, and worldwide. The focus is always on the entire construction value chain, from planning and the construction process, to operation, subsequent conversion or dismantling, and the return of valuable resources to the materials cycle.

This is also reflected in the key topics for digitalBAU 2024. Connectivity at all process levels and throughout the life cycle of buildings is one of four key topics being addressed at the trade fair at numerous exhibition stands, top-class expert forums, and in-depth discussion panels on site.

Exhibition Director Otto Nowack underlines the importance of digitalBAU in the current situation: “digitalBAU 2024 is a barometer of the current turmoil in the construction industry. With our trade fair, we provide guidance and show possible perspectives—on the path to a digital construction industry that is above all more sustainable and remains innovative.”

Focus on digitization, efficiency, and resource conservation

The construction industry is in a state of upheaval: Analog processes are becoming digital, artificial intelligence is finding its way into planning, and robots are conquering construction sites. What sounds like a far-off vision has long since become reality in initial projects around the globe. At the same time, the challenges are immense. According to a recent PwC study, nine out of ten construction companies regard incalculable price developments and bottlenecks in the supply chain as key problems in the industry. What’s more, globally rising raw material prices, and shortages of resources and skilled workers are also cited as major problem areas that demand a swift and targeted response.

To solve the tasks ahead, digitalBAU 2024 offers collaboration between exhibitors, construction companies, institutions, politics, and research. A central core element of this is to connect all the participants, digital services, hardware and software, robotics, and the valuable building trade with each other during the trade fair. Under the key topic of connectivity, digitalBAU 2024 will also highlight the necessary shift in perspective for a successful digital transformation of the construction industry, and show the opportunities, solutions, and challenges in the context of connectivity. All that combined with the goal of creating what continues to be a high-quality, sustainable, and resource-efficient architecture for the future through digital processes.

Extensive supporting program in five expert forums

Incorporated in expert forums, guided trade fair tours, and numerous special areas, digitalBAU offers a wealth of background information on the four key topics of digital construction site, networked city, circular construction, and connectivity. Important focal points of the key topic of connectivity are BIM, virtual reality, augmented reality, building life cycle, planning software, and innovative tools. Added to that are promising technologies and product applications in the context of artificial intelligence, robotics, and the digital twin. Artificial intelligence, for example, has huge potential in the construction sector, as studies and initial project applications both show. For example, the faculty of Prof. Borrmann at TU Munich is currently training AI to generate comprehensive 3D models from 2D planning data. Using point cloud data from laser scans of the actual structures and the models generated from the plans, it is now possible to compare partially incomplete or faulty plans with the actual situation, and to implement them in a digital twin.