NordBau 2017: The focal points "Green to the City!" and "Digitization" – A Great Success

Neumünster. With great interest in the special exhibition, “Green to the City!” and “Digitization in Construction” today (17 September 2017), this year’s NordBau came to an end. In the 62nd year of its existence, the Northern Europe’s largest compact trade fair for construction was attended by 66,200 visitors. Thus, the number of visitors increased by 6,000 in comparison to last year’s event. With more than 850 exhibitors from 15 countries, the trade fair was sold out for the 16th time in a row.
The special exhibition, “Green to the City!” presented its advantages for homeowners, tenants and municipalities. The focus was on the sustainable planning and management of inner city areas, the greening of roofs and facades, the use of rainwater and urban gardening. The community stand of Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg trade associations for the horticulture, landscaping and sports ground construction (Fachverbände Garten-, Landschafts- und Sportplatzbau von Schleswig-Holstein und Hamburg), the Association of Home Ownership (Verband Wohneigentum), Haus & Grund Schleswig-Holstein, the Schleswig-Holstein Community Association (Schleswig-Holsteinischen Gemeindetag), as well as the Federation of German Landscape Architects Schleswig-Holstein (BDLA – Bund Deutscher Landschaftsarchitekten Schleswig-Holstein), presented the backdrop of a green inner courtyard of Kiel’s city center. “Our green oasis showed how owners and tenants can achieve a lot, even with limited resources, in increasing the quality of living and in strengthening the identity foundation with their own residential district. We have given many tips and are very satisfied with the response”, concludes Michael Mäurer, Chairman of the Association of German Landscape Architects in Schleswig-Holstein.
nordbau 2017
The second focal point of the 2017 NordBau was the digitalization. Under the motto “Bau digital – Building Information Modeling (BIM)”, laser scans 3D and 360-degree visualizations from living rooms to large building projects were presented among other things. Digitization changes and significantly improves the workflows on building. “Our industry is facing revolutionary changes. There is a great need for information on digitization. One of the main topics at our stand was, among other things, the networking of planning, construction machinery and management at construction sites. We had a lot of good discussions and an intensive exchange”, said Dieter Schnittjer, trade fair adviser and managing director of the association of construction industry, environmental and mechanical engineering.
At the NordBau, Schleswig-Holstein’s Prime Minister, Daniel Günther, promoted work and training in construction projects and assessed the construction boom as a good sign for Schleswig-Holstein. “NordBau is one of the most important trade fairs for the entire Northern Germany and even for Scandinavia”, said Günther. Many local and municipal politicians came to the exhibition; among them were President of the Landtag Schleswig-Holstein Klaus Schlie and the Minister of Economy, Bernd Buchholz.
Deutsche Bahn selected NordBau to present the major German Rail projects (DB projects) in Northern Germany, with an investment volume of around EUR 4.4 billion. The Executive Board of Deutsche Bahn Netz AG, Professor Dirk Rompf, explained the projects during the opening ceremony. On the booth, construction companies were able to obtain information about prequalification and procurement procedures. “We have come to NordBau with the message of implementing major projects in partnership. We go to the region to take citizens and businesses with us. NordBau is of particular importance for us, as a platform for the construction industry”, says Bernd Homfeldt, the project manager of rail connections to fixed link across the Fehmarnbelt, at DB Netz AG.
nordbau 2017
Further attractions at the 2017’s NordBau were the meeting point for the “site managers and foremen”, the special exhibition on large construction machinery with all novelties, the over 50 congresses with 4,300 seminar participants and the nordjob-Bau-Infotag for the next generation. A special eye-catcher of the exhibition was the Zeppelin airship, which came to Neumünster for the weekend.
“With the focus on digitalization, urban planning and infrastructure, our exhibitors have offered an up-to-date and attractive offer for all construction managers, while illustrating this with many examples in a vivid and comprehensible manner. This is what makes NordBau special”, summarizes Dirk Iwersen, Managing Director of Holstenhallen Neumünster GmbH.
NordBau 2018 will take place from 5 to 9 September 2018.
Photos: Nordbau
Background NordBau
On approximately 69,000 m2 of outdoor area and over 20,000 m2 of hall space, Northern Europe’s compact exhibition for construction offers approximately 850 exhibition spaces every year to present the entire spectrum of construction with modern building materials and components, powerful machines, municipal machines and attachments for construction and trade as well as the latest energy technology. The NordBau is at home in Neumünster since 1956 and cooperates with the partner country Denmark for over 40 years. Over 60,000 visitors visit the exhibition every year.