The German construction industry is in the deepest crisis in years. While Federal Construction Minister Klara Geywitz sees signs of recovery, Jan-Hendrik Goldbeck, one of Germany’s largest construction companies, is expecting a wave of insolvencies – in two or three years.
Light at the end of the construction tunnel? Jan-Hendrik Goldbeck does not see that. Quite the opposite. “It’s going to get ugly again,” says the head of the Bielefeld-based construction group Goldbeck, one of the largest construction companies in the country, in the successful ntv podcast “Biz & Beyond”. The buildings that have just been completed were planned before the crisis triggered by price explosions. Because the number of building permits is currently falling, the crisis in the construction industry will become significantly worse. “The worst is yet to come,” says Goldbeck. And: “Experience shows that bankruptcies come when things are getting better again.” Goldbeck expects this to happen in two to three years. Goldbeck contradicts Federal Construction Minister Klara Geywitz, who recently identified the first signs of a recovery in the crisis-ridden construction and real estate industry.
For years, the construction industry has been celebrating strong increases in sales. “Since 2009, things have only been going up,” says Goldbeck. It is understandable “if there is a stall like this.” State aid is not necessary to save the construction industry: “We don’t have to immediately turn to the state just because after 20 years of good economic growth, you have one, two, three, four bad ones.”
“Need more speed”
Goldbeck sees clear potential in the timely realization of construction projects. To achieve this, the various processes in planning and construction must run in parallel. This was the only way, for example, that the majority of the Tesla factory in Brandenburg, which Goldbeck built, could be built at record speed. “Unfortunately, we Germans don’t have this speed gene as strong as other nations. We need a bit more of it.” In a time characterized by strong technological change, speed is an important skill.
The ability to innovate and digital competence are becoming crucial to the success of the construction industry. “Investments in digital technologies are crucial not only to increase the efficiency of our projects, but also to achieve our sustainability goals,” said the building contractor. Goldbeck sees the ability to build modularly as a competitive advantage. “The modular construction method enables us to assemble buildings from prefabricated modules. This significantly shortens the construction time and at the same time allows us to improve the quality of the buildings.”
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