STRABAG Innovation Day

The STRABAG Innovation Day offers the opportunity to connect the many exciting ideas and developments within the group and to promote an exchange between colleagues, our customers and other interested visitors. The event takes place every two years at changing locations.

Stuttgart 2019 – the third STRABAG Innovation Day

After Vienna 2015 and Bratislava 2017, Group employees and external experts interested in innovation were invited to Stuttgart for the third edition of the Innovation Day. More than 1,000 people responded to this call and experienced concentrated group power from many different areas.

The 100th anniversary of the STRABAG subsidiary was recently celebrated in the ZÜBLIN-Haus in Stuttgart, on 10^th and 11^th of September the two companies focused on the future . “We are proof that long tradition and far-sighted innovation are not mutually exclusive,” said STRABAG SE CEO Thomas Birtel. The 39 market booths showcased new developments, building materials, processes and equipment that will play a greater role on the construction sites of the future. Particularly numerous were the developments in the field of digital construction processes and the more resilient, sustainable or precise building materials.

Homemade amazement

Here are some of the highlights of the STRABAG Innovation Day in Stuttgart

Innovation cARds
Cards with key facts were also presented in addition to the exhibited developments. They serve primarily as triggers for the AR app, with which 3D models, functions and descriptions can be called up.

Augmented Reality
Numerous developments were also made available as 3D animations, so that the digital model could be viewed from all sides using iPad and the respective functionality could be experienced easily understood.

Workshops
On Innovation Day, various short workshops were offered on the subject of innovation projects. The workshops taught various important skills that can be used to set up and implement promising innovation projects.

Elevator Pitches
For a brief and concise insight into selected projects, the developers presented them in two minutes. What is the development? What’s new about it? What are the benefits?

Fireside Chat
During “fireside chats”, visitors were able to discuss about innovation, digitalisation and important trends with the Members of the Management Board Thomas Birtel, Christian Harder, Peter Krammer and Alfred Watzl.

Trends for the construction industry
Which opportunities and risks do robotics, artificial intelligence, circular economy, smart buildings etc. offer for us?

As with every Innovation Day, the focus was also on exchange and networking with colleagues from a wide variety of Group divisions.

Excavator simulators were used to test one’s skill in handling wheel loaders and crawler excavators and to compete with the best apprentices from the company.

Take-away asphalt: ClAir® provides a 26% NO₂ reduction through a photocatalytic effect.

A face that’s supposed to calm emotionally: For many visitors, the digital cuteness of SiSSi worked right away.

3D-printing
Of course, one of the potentially most revolutionary developments for construction sites of the future could not be missing. Live demonstrations showed exactly what this could look like.

Employees from 18 countries and numerous Group divisions travelled to STRABAG to experience the latest developments and innovations.

Here are some of the highlights of the STRABAG Innovation Day in Stuttgart

The “BAGSTAR” robot was a familiar face of digitisation in Stuttgart – although this time new digital gadgets. “SiSSi”, developed by “STRABAG Infrastructure & Safety Solutions GmbH”, is intended to ensure that no negative emotions arise with a (digital) blink of an eye. Drones are still omnipresent and for many the most striking mechanical face of digitisation. The TPA innovation paver and bunker attracted as many spectators as prototypes of the 3D mortar printer “BauProAddi” (printing speed: 1m/s) or a 3D reinforced concrete printer or the trackless and self-propelled VirtuRail® trains for tunnel construction, which had already been successfully used in the Brenner Base Tunnel.

The protagonists behind the scenes are often invisible, but nevertheless immensely important for new paths. Without the technical and intellectual infrastructure of IT and HRD, innovative thinking would be difficult to achieve. Accordingly, a wide range of services and working methods of the future was offered.

Conclusion of the two-day event in Stuttgart: Impressed and satisfied visitors, many conversations, contacts, impulses and the motivation to think outside the box.

Big stage for foresight and lateral thinking within the group – the second STRABAG Innovation Day

Impressions from the 2nd STRABAG Innovation Day in Bratislava

Under the leadership of STRABAG SE Management Board Member Siegfried Wanker, innovation enthusiasts from various group countries met on the 18th of October to present their projects and to learn about pioneering ideas from other fields. The entire Management Board was present in Bratislava, having specially arranged their schedules so as not to miss the second edition of the event (following the premiere in Vienna in 2015). In his opening speech, Siegfried Wanker made it clear that the company both expects and promotes innovations. In brief: There are many excuses and explanations why a department, a division or a company cannot be innovative, but nobody can afford to remain stuck in old patterns.

Management Board Members at the STRABAG Innovation Day 2019

The concept of the event in Bratislava: The nearly 40 teams introduced themselves at the fair stands and presented their developments in three-minute pitches with a focus on the added value of their innovation. To overcome the language barriers as much as possible, all programme points were accompanied by interpreters.

Some innovative highlights: The earthquake-proof concrete support is an in-house development that not only enables safe but also architecturally appealing construction. The props do not require the usual oversizing and are also more cost-effective than steel or composite props. Another concrete innovation, Ultra High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) facades, enables the production of extremely thin concrete shells that are far more robust and resistant to pollution than normal concrete.

Innovative spirit at STRABAG

Here are some of the innovative highlights from the STRABAG Innovation Day in Bratislava:

In-house concrete innovation
The earthquake-proof concrete prop is an in-house development that not only enables safe but also architecturally appealing construction.

Asphalt that cleans the air
Sustainable high-tech asphalt (NaHiTAs) removes harmful nitrogen dioxide from the air with the help of sunlight and converts it into harmless nitrates that can be rinsed off by rainwater.

Bagstar answers your questions about building automation
At the STRABAG group house “Meandris“ in Frankfurt am Main, the humanoid robot Bagstar shows how connectivity can support the operation of modern buildings.

Drones take off
The Drones Competence Centre and the team of the Connected Construction Site presented a sensor for the creation of data clouds, opening up a multitude of new possibilities.

EFKON, our fine technology forge for intelligent transport and toll systems, presented its latest developments.

EFKON, our technology subsidiary for intelligent transport and tolling systems, presented its latest developments.

How will the construction business change with all these drivers? Discussion at our trend and technology radar.

How will the construction business change with all the various drivers of change? A discussion at our trend and technology radar.

STRABAG’s own software developer ITC introduceed a digital protocol management that makes processing construction site documentation more reliable, clearer and faster.

The essentials in 5 minutes. A colleague presented his development to his colleagues. Purpose, benefit, implementation.

The essentials in a five-minute pitch. A colleague introduced his development to his circle of colleagues. Purpose, benefits, implementation.

We participate in solutions for clean air in urban areas. Development of the fine dust panel with moss planting.

We contribute to solutions for clean air in urban areas. Development of the moss-covered particulate matter panel.

Discovering new things leads to appetite. The culinary offer was also innovative - the molecular cuisine always invited you to try it...

New discoveries awaken your appetite. The culinary offer was also innovative – the molecular cuisine tempted visitors to take a taste …

There also was no shortage of large machines.

The commissioning of buildings - still a great challenge. Here the sensor-based solution for commissioning and optimization was explained.

The commissioning of buildings remains a big challenge. Here, the sensor-based solution for commissioning and optimisation is explained.

Concrete-based constructions are constantly being further developed: Earthquake support made of carbon concrete

Concrete-based constructions are constantly evolving: earthquake support made of carbon concrete.

Each participant received a set of Drivers of Change created by ARUP's Foresight, Incubation and Innovation Team.

Each participant received a Drivers of Change set created by ARUP’s Foresight, Incubation and Innovation Team.

Here are some of the innovative highlights from the STRABAG Innovation Day in Bratislava:

Mosses, dry ice and molecular cuisine

In addition, there were many other innovative approaches to experience for the more than 300 visitors. With moss to reduce particulate matter pollution, cold compressed air for mould removal, and rubber-based asphalt, STRABAG has a broad innovation spectrum. In order to pay tribute to the theme in culinary terms, the outstanding buffet was also supplemented with innovative dishes from molecular cuisine.

The first STRABAG Innovation Day

On the 23rd of November 2015, the focus at our group headquarters in Vienna was on improving our construction processes and the necessary upstream and downstream processes. The event format allowed for easy networking across hierarchical and organisational boundaries. Participants from around 40 group entities with quite different expertise and perspectives led lively discussions around the question of how we can assert ourselves as a technology leader for construction services in the future. Special thanks go to the event team – their enthusiastic commitment far beyond the usual job requirements contributed to arousing the interest of the participants.

STRABAG SE Board Member Peter Krammer opened the first STRABAG Innovation Day

Digitalisation or not: nothing can replace personal conversation as a source of new ideas

Complex geometries simply printed. How will 3D printing change building?

STRABAG SE Board Members Hannes Truntschnig and Peter Krammer in conversation with Division Manager Herbert Krutina

The mobile model façade on tour: demonstrator with facade-integrated photovoltaics for sustainable buildings stoped over at Donau-City-Str. 9 in Vienna

Deepdive into the digital working world of the future

Deep dive into the digital workplace of the future

Experiencing live construction documentation in real time with docu tools.

Dr. Thomas Gröninger explained the possible applications and benefits of flying drones in traffic route construction

Thomas Gröninger explained the possible uses and benefits of aerial drones in transportation infrastructures.

Generating of new ideas for the correct handling of psychological stress in the workplace

Great interest in the numerous specialist presentations

Great interest in the numerous lectures