Bauma demonstrates the industry’s capacity to innovate

When the fair grounds of Messe München become the center of the construction machinery industry for seven full days, bauma is at last taking place again. A total of around 3,200 exhibitors from 60 countries (in 2019: 3,684 exhibitors from 63 countries) and more than 495,000 visitors from over 200 countries (in 2019: 627,603 visitors form also more than 200 countries) came to Munich from 24 to 30 October 2022. The occasion was the world’s leading trade fair for construction machinery, building material machines, mining machines, construction vehicles and construction equipment. The share of international visitors was around 50 %.

The top-ten exhibitor countries were – in that order – Germany, Italy, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, the USA, Austria, Spain and China. The share of international exhibitors was just under 65 %.

Stefan Rummel, the CEO of Messe München, responsible for the event, is pleased: “This bauma has again stoked enthusiasm and fascination. After the world has fundamentally changed since the last bauma, we are thrilled that bauma 2022 with numerous innovations of our customers, good business deals and many visitors from all over the world, continuous to be a powerhouse of the construction machinery industry.

Industry expectations far exceeded

The reason for this is that bauma has presented itself with its usual strength, also in these unsettled times, as Steffen Günther, member of the board of directors at Liebherr, sums up: “bauma was very successful for us. We have inspired great enthusiasm in a large audience. The talks were excellent. We are already looking forward to the next edition of this trade show.”

In terms of business deals, too, bauma was once again the leading platform for the industry. Alexander Greschner, Chief Sales Officer at Wacker Neuson Group: “Visitors flocked to our stand and we had many very good talks and were able to achieve, from the first day, sales successes on the same level as in 2019 and beyond.” Alexander Schwörer, owner of Peri, confirmed: “The entire team was very eager to see how the trade show would develop in these not quite easy times. But already after the first day it was clear: this bauma will be an outstanding success. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that the quality of the talks we had during the trade fair week was outstanding in all areas. And, last but not least: we signed some very attractive contracts directly at the trade show. To sum up: bauma 2022 has more than exceeded our expectations.”

Many of the owners and/or executives of the exhibiting plant engineering companies and suppliers from the precast segment questioned by the BFT editorial staff voiced similar assessments: for example Onno Fritzen (Frima, Emden), Hans-Jörg Vollert (Vollert Anlagenbau, Weinsberg), Hans-Heinrich Reuter (Testing, Berlin), Mario Pfender (mbk Maschinenbau, Kisslegg), Jürgen Reiser (Intexmo, Ehingen), Wolfgang Weckenmann (Weckenmann Anlagentechnik, Dormettingen), Fabian Kohlbecker (Rampf Formen, Allmendingen), Philipp Coote (Coote Engineering, Ballygawley/UK), Harald Kniele (Kniele GmbH, Bad Buchau), Thomas Strach (Avermann Maschinenfabrik, Osnabrück), Lucas Dunne (CDS Group, Stoke-on-Trent/UK), Lars Heuwinkel (Remei-BPB, Blomberg), Klaus Holzberger (WCH, Rio Claro/Brasilien), Markus Gartner (Teka Maschinenbau, Edenkoben), Manfred Ludwig (Ludwig Feuchtemessung, Mainz), Harris Athanassopoulos (Eurobend, Nürnberg), Sven-Olaf Jung (Masa, Andernach) and Gabriele Falchetti (MCT, Bettona/Italien).

Statements that the Co-CEOs of Messe München, Stefan Rummel and Dr. Reinhard Pfeiffer, like to hear: “In these challenging times, bauma has sent a strong signal to the trade-show sector: the industries need precisely such in-person events like bauma at which products can be experienced and personal conversations held.”

Focus on topics of the future

But bauma not only took place as business platform; it also justifies its claim to leadership in setting topics. Franz-Josef Paus, Managing Director of Hermann Paus Maschinenfabrik GmbH and Chairman of the bauma Advisory Board, summarizes: “We are very satisfied with the way bauma went. The positive feedback from our customers and the visitors to the trade show was enormous. The topics of digitization and automation dominated the event – that trend is irreversible.” Joachim Schmid, Managing Director at VDMA Construction Machinery and Building Material Plants confirms: “The exhibitors offer solutions for the current challenges concerning all aspects of CO₂ neutrality, and are facing up to the shortage of skilled workers by pushing automation and digitization. That is the future, which can be seen by the traditional companies and for the first time at the trade show – and also in the nearly 50 startups.”

The next bauma will take place from 7 to 13 April 2025 in Munich.