LECTURA Press interview with Wolfgerd Jansch, Nordbau 2018

Wolfgerd Jansch, NordBau Exhibition Management, in an interview with LECTURA Press on the upcoming NordBau 2018 in September, the digital construction site and "safe @ home".

The NordBau 2018 will be the shows 63rd edition. Approximately, how many visitors do you expect in Neumünster this year?

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Like last year, the NordBau can once again welcome visitors on the 69,000 m² outdoor area and in more than 20,000 m² of hall space. I think, we will also highlight that NordBau is the most important construction trade fair in northern Germany and the entire Baltic Sea region. Last year, 849 exhibitors from 15 countries exhibited their products and machines in Neumünster. Nearly 66,000 visitors informed themselves about the latest trends in the construction industry. Of course, we’re hopeful that a similar number of enthusiastic visitors will attend this year’s show. Let’s talk about exact figures after this NordBau is over.

The NordBau is the largest construction trade fair in northern Germany. Each year you display various interesting topics and try to deepen everybody’s understanding. Which topics will this year’s NordBau focus on?

There will be another special exhibition during the show in Neumünster. Last year, everything revolved around "digital construction". This year we will once again focus on the industry's advanced digitalization trend. Everything will revolve around the digital construction site. The impulse for putting this topic on the agenda was brought to us by business and employers' associations in the construction industry. The uneven distribution of knowledge about these topics is starting to become an issue for the industry. We would like to address and explain to users the handling and also the actual added value they are having when working with new technologies and systems. Key factors are transparency, cost savings and planning security. There will be several practical presentations and simulations organized by the Bad Zwischenahn Training and Education Center and the VDBUM. Of course we will also focus on various other trends, topics as well as new machines, which will be presented by the most important manufacturers in the construction industry.

A highly discussed topic is the promotion and support of young talents. How can we make this industry more attractive for young people?

I have to add, that the construction industry is competing with all other German industries for young talent. We have to continue to fascinate and commit young people for jobs in the construction industry. From architects, engineers to machine operators, the industry is looking for highly trained and committed young talent. At this year’s Nordbau, on thursday, we will display the special show "Faszination Bauberufe". There will be exciting insights into the construction industry for prospective trainees and students. We have already received well over 1000 registrations from schools throughout northern Germany. The students will not only be able to learn out about a large number of modern construction professions, but will also be able to lend a hand and thus experience the construction industry up close. We also invited the popular YouTube star JP Kraemer to Neumünster, on thursday. He will talk to the students and educate them on the important topics - especially for the younger generation this will be an absolute highlight of the NordBau 2018.

There will be another special - "safe @ home". What is the key focus here?

The goal here is to inform visitors about opportunities and challenges revolving around SmartHome. It is important that the users are sufficiently informed about data and communication safety. This ranges from networked, smart-controlled lighting to comprehensive, smart theft protection. We are in close cooperation with different regional associations, the state police and the Ministry of the Interior.