Sustainable productivity boost in the construction industry

The construction industry faces the major challenge of accelerating planning and construction processes, and making construction more efficient overall. At digitalBAU 2026 in Cologne from March 24 to 26, 2026, leading international exhibitors will present innovations and technologies that will ensure that, and enable end-to-end digitalization of the entire construction value chain. Construction process optimization using digital tools, one of the key topics at digitalBAU, becomes a central solution provider, to boost productivity in the industry significantly and in the long term.

Digitizing construction processes encompasses the systematic application of digital technologies, methods and tools needed to plan, implement, control and manage construction projects. The central aim is to provide information in a digital, end-to-end and structured form, make processes more efficient, and improve collaboration between all the project participants.

BIM, serial construction and prefabrication as key growth factors

Current data underscores how dynamic this market is: As a central, digital planning tool, the BIM method generated a volume of up to USD 8.6 billion in 2024, according to a global market assessment. The BIM market in Germany is also expected to grow by up to 13% in the coming years, based on a market volume of around USD 590 million in 2024.

Process optimization also focuses on serial construction. The global market for modular and serial construction was estimated to be worth more than USD 104 billion in 2024, with annual growth potential of up to 8 percent through 2030. In Germany, the current market volume is around USD 10 billion. Here, too, forecasts predict an annual growth rate of 7 percent over the next four years. The German government also recognizes the importance of serial construction, prefabrication, and the use of digital tools in planning and construction: Verena Hubertz, Federal Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Building, spoke out in favor of more serial construction, and the use of 3D printing and wood—also in high-rise construction.

Innovations for end-to-end digital processes

Process optimization extends from planning to approval and construction work. One forward-looking field here is the digital building permit. By March 2025, 18,500 digital building applications had already been submitted in Germany via the EfA online service. As the example of Bavaria shows, acceptance is growing rapidly: In the participating government offices, around 2,500 digital applications had been submitted monthly by the end of 2024. And in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, for which the “one-for-all” solution (EfA) was originally developed, more than 7,600 applications have now been processed digitally (as of January 2025). The digital building permit has long been a successful model: Thirteen German states now use EfA (“one-for-all”) and the service is being further expanded to include AI-based automation, BIM-based building application, and additional digital assistance systems.

digitalBAU 2026 will comprehensively reflect and examine these and other forward-looking process-optimizing developments in depth. The solutions shown will therefore cover the use of digital platforms for project and data management, automated work and approval processes, as well as digital solutions for construction site organization, machine control and quality management.

At digitalBAU 2026, numerous exhibitors will demonstrate how digital tools and data-based solutions make planning, implementing and managing construction projects more efficient and transparent. The focus will be on applications for connected workflows, automated processes and AI-supported decision-making processes that make it increasingly possible to manage construction in real time. That makes it clear that the digitalization of construction processes has long since ceased to be a topic for the future, but is already an integral part of ever more integrated and collaborative construction practice.

digitalBAU 2026: deep dive with extensive supporting program

digitalBAU 2026 will not only showcase the latest product developments and services for the entire planning and construction process but also offer a supporting program that is as innovative as it is in-depth. Visitors can look forward to top-class presentations and discussions on the four stages: the Main Stage, Exhibitor Stage, Neo Stage and Start-Up Stage. The program will provide detailed insights into best practices and bring together experts from research, application, industry and the public sector. Once again, digitalBAU 2026 will be the most important industry meeting place for everyone who wants to actively drive forward the digital transformation of construction processes.