68th BetonTage: Industry congress shows approaches for sustainable change
20.12.2023Under the topic "Shaping Transformation", the 68th BetonTage will take place from May 14 - 16, 2024 at the Congress Centrum Ulm. The congress will address the challenges and opportunities of the ecological and digital transformation of the construction industry. What contribution can the concrete industry make to this? What impetus can the industry provide and where is there still a need for action? The presentations from science and practice will cover a range of topics from lightweight construction and efficient production processes, including digitalization, to serial construction and the circular economy. The plenary lectures on the first two days of the congress will be simultaneously translated into English. The congress will be accompanied by an exhibition from the supplier, machinery and software industries.
68th BetonTage in Ulm/Germany
Marinaressa Coral Tree: ILEK/SW Universität Stuttgart
The first keynote speaker at the opening will be entrepreneur and author Jörg Heynkes from Wuppertal. In his presentation “Why we can only save the world digitally or not at all”, he describes the extent to which industrial transformation processes will also bring about far-reaching social changes. He sees digitalization as an opportunity that offers us all the technological possibilities to organize the decisive breakthrough in climate and environmental protection. However, he also believes that every individual has a duty to become a shaper of their own future to ensure successful implementation.
Lightweight construction plays a key role in the transformation of industry towards climate neutrality. With its new lightweight construction strategy, the German government wants to further promote the expansion of this technology and strengthen Germany’s innovative strength and competitiveness in the long term. Werner Loscheider, Head of the “Construction Industry, Lightweight Construction/New Materials, Resource Efficiency” Department, Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK), Berlin, will present the BMWK’s lightweight construction technology transfer program. The concrete industry can also benefit from the wide range of funding opportunities offered by this program.
Carbon concrete in particular has great potential for climate-friendly construction, as it enables material savings and CO2 emissions to be reduced. The topic is therefore once again on the agenda at the upcoming BetonTage. Together with Composites United e. V., Augsburg, a complete podium will be offered on all aspects of carbon concrete. It will provide information on the latest research results and practical experience in the precast concrete industry. After a two-year break, there will once again be a separate forum on lightweight concrete and its innovative approaches.
Serial construction - challenges and opportunities
The demand for housing in Germany is constantly increasing, but the supply of living space is far behind demand. Serial and modular construction can help to quickly create affordable and high-quality living space. The German government has also recognized this and is increasingly promoting this construction method. There are opportunities here for the precast concrete industry in particular. The plenary session on the second day of the congress will therefore be dedicated to this topic.
Closing ranks with market partners
BetonTage regards itself as a training platform for market partners in the industry when it comes to building with concrete components. The Construction Industry Future Day will therefore take place again on May 16, 2024. The program is aimed at managers from construction companies, architecture and engineering firms. Prof. Dr. Peter Schwehr, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Head of Architecture Research, founder and head of the Competence Center Typology & Planning in Architecture (CCTP), will open the event with a plea for a new way of building and a climate-friendly settlement area. He will comment on the challenges of planning sustainable architecture in dealing with uncertainty and creating spaces for action in times of serious transformation.
In cooperation with the DBZ Deutsche Bauzeitschrift and the Informations-Zentrum Beton, a special podium will be offered for architects. The focus will be on project reports by the winners of the Architecture Prize Concrete 2023. There will also be a specific program for structural engineers.
Innovation potential of the supplier industry
The exhibition of the supplier, machinery and software industry is an important part of the BetonTage. At the 68th BetonTage, numerous companies will once again present themselves and provide information about their products, services, and new developments. Some of them will be presented in more detail in the “Innovation Forum”. Dyckerhoff GmbH and Pemat Mischtechnik GmbH are the main sponsors of the congress.
Together with media partner BFT INTERNATIONAL Betonwerk Fertigteil-Technik, the Concrete Components Supplier Industry Innovation Award 2023 will be presented next year. Applications can still be submitted until February 10, 2024. The main selection criteria are the degree of innovation and originality of the proposal, its relevance to the precast concrete industry and its market and application potential. The winners will be announced on May 14, 2024 as part of the opening ceremony.
Successful change of baton
Prof. Dominik Kueres, Munich University of Applied Sciences, succeeded Prof. Hans-Joachim Walther as head of the technical program in the BetonTage team this year. For the first time, he was responsible for compiling the technical presentations. He was supported by the relevant trade associations and organizations in the industry, which provided their input for the precast-specific presentations and panels. The complete program will be available at www.betontage.de at the beginning of 2024.
