Denkwerkstatt für Manager

Geschwill & Nieswandt

10th Symposium: Innovations in the Construction Industry

For ten years now, Denkwerkstatt has been holding an annual symposium for managers with a select group of clients. In the past, we have dealt with a wide variety of topics. The format has proven itself and the guests look forward to the intensive exchange of ideas, opinions and perspectives every time.

This year, not only did we organize a symposium for the first time that focused on a specific industry, namely the construction industry.

We also had a cooperation partner for the first time, BAM Germany with Prof. Henric Hahr, who was very satisfied at the end of the day. On June 20, experts from various industries discussed innovations in the construction industry under Corona conditions. 

Dr. Roland Geschwill from Denkwerkstatt for Managers and Dr. Peter Görlich from TSG Hoffenheim kicked off the event, telling about the history of innovation at TSG Hoffenheim and captivating everyone with his interesting and entertaining stories.

And because parallels can certainly be drawn between soccer and the construction industry, there has already been intensive discussion here.

START-UPS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY HAVE MANY HURDLES TO OVERCOME

Afterwards, Prof. Henric Hahr and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans Christian Jünger, Director of the Institute for Construction Management at the University of Stuttgart, discussed the topic. Jünger pointed out starting points for the use of artificial intelligence, system building and digital planning and building, and explained the use of robots using examples. This led to a very exciting discussion in the area of tension between basic research and the practical requirements and realities, as we still find them today on most construction sites and in many construction projects.

Martina Nieswandt led a discussion with Dr. Christian Kulas from solidian, a corporate start-up from Albstadt, which wants to revolutionize the construction industry with carbon fiber. It became clear how difficult it is to bring such innovations to market in Germany. Although they are already being used successfully in many cases in Switzerland, various hurdles still have to be overcome in Germany. 

Therefore, Christian Kulas was able to take away very practical tips and hints from many experts here. 

Dr. Volkmar Hovestadt from digitales bauen also took part in the discussion. Although the company has already been on the market for ten years, it still deserves to be called a start-up. Hovestadt and his team were the first to explore the digital possibilities in construction planning and coordination. 

There was also extensive discussion about why a product whose advantages are so obvious has not yet experienced THE big breakthrough.

TO BE CONTINUED...

This construction symposium was the first of its kind. The participants discussed the topics intensively and persistently, so that we were so behind schedule that we still had one topic on the agenda half an hour before the scheduled end. And because several participants had a long return journey ahead of them and were about to leave, we decided with a heavy heart not to discuss the last item on the program.
Roland Geschwill and Henric Hahr would have liked to have had the final discussion with Dr. Markus Koch from Drees und Sommer on the topic of innovative system construction.
Before everyone left, the participants expressed the wish to repeat such an event again in any case. Together with Henric Hahr we will think about it and approach everyone early.
To be continued, then also the missed from the first building symposium can be more than made up for.
As always, the team of party planners around Andreas Stolze took care of the physical well-being with their light Palatinate cuisine.

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