Open to New Ideas
Our guest today is Maximiliane Straub. She works as a development engineer at Goldbeck, so she is the perfect contact for the topic of "innovations in the construction industry". Maxi studied civil engineering in a very classic way, later focusing on FE. For her master's thesis, she was already moving more towards software development and artificial intelligence / neural networks.
As part of the IPS department (Innovations, Products, and Systems) in her company, she is primarily involved in innovation. What she finds particularly exciting is the variety of innovations and new ideas that she encounters. We can understand that – a really exciting field of activity.
Project #TheMissionConstruction
THE MISSION Construction is an incubation program that helps participating entrepreneurs, start-ups, and teams to put their visions into practice. This is where talents and market leaders are brought together to advance innovation – a great thing, we think!
People with ideas or who are interested in joining a start-up can apply. Goldbeck experts accompany the participants over a twelve-week coaching session and support start-ups in the implementation of their innovations. After all, the first few months of a start-up's life are extremely important. Maxi tells us that she is doing the important groundwork for the incubation program. What can we imagine by this?
- “Roughly speaking, it is the screening and scouting of new technologies, trends, and start-ups in order to advance the topic of innovation in the construction industry."
Sustainability in Construction
Why was The Mission Construction launched? She explains to us that sustainability is currently playing a major role in the areas of CO2 reduction and waste minimization. Even in the very conservative construction industry, these issues are finally starting to arrive.
In the end, the construction industry should not only ensure that a building is completed, but also that it can still meet needs after decades. And these needs now also include aspects such as sustainability and easy adaptability.
Not only conserving are resources and social compatibility important in construction projects – profitability also plays a major role. Even if a building could be built as CO2-neutral for a lot of money, it is of no use, because nobody can afford it.
Goldbeck as Pioneering Construction Company
Maxi reports to us that Goldbeck will be CO2-neutral as of 2023. We think that is exciting, of course. How does such a large construction company implement sustainability? She tells us that Goldbeck relies on innovative building materials and work processes in every project that the company accompanies in the planning phase. The main focus here is on the following principle:
- “How can we use smart building solutions and operational optimization to ensure that as little energy as possible is used?"
The focus is also on the profitability of innovative solutions. Goldbeck does not deal only with new buildings. In existing buildings, too, it is necessary to take care of revitalization; for example, insulation, ensuring that our future is more sustainable, and that little space needs to be built on.
Furthermore, Goldbeck is constantly working on optimizing repetitive processes so that they can be automated. In the case of BIM, for example, there is even a large department of its own that deals with the issue of how innovations can be introduced efficiently. In the future, AI will take over those processes that always run the same way and are often repeated. So a person can concentrate on everything that goes beyond.
Even robotics on a construction site has been an issue for years. Robots are already commonplace in other areas of our lives. What about construction? Robots that drill ceilings, robot dogs that run across a construction site and monitor the construction progress with laser scans – something like this will come in the future. Even if it will take a while before such pilot projects can be implemented throughout the country. Of course, we asked how such projects were received on the construction site.
- “For the first few days, the workers treated the robots like aliens. Everyone watched for a while, and after a few days, they were like complementary tools. There will always be a certain amount of skepticism, but it's also nice to see how many people are open-minded in this matter."
Not only the subject of construction is important for companies. The world of work is also changing noticeably. Concepts, such as "New Work", are becoming increasingly important. This also raises the question of how a company can create modern, attractive jobs in order to counteract the shortage of skilled workers.
Future of Construction
Especially since Maxi has a lot to do with innovation, we are interested in her thoughts on how the construction industry will change in the near future. She assumes that the construction industry has a big change ahead of it. The processes will be more efficient, resource-saving, and leaner.
If she had one wish, she would wish less bureaucracy. This is also linked to the numerous standards that can differ, depending on the federal state. This makes the work extremely difficult, of course, and it is possible to learn a lot from each other.
She would like to advise young professionals to ask if they say: “We have always done it this way.” Yes, why have we always done it this way? She also advises you that should always enjoy your work.
Maxi, what is your favorite building?
Like all our guests, we ask Maxi the question of all questions. She tells us that she is a very big fan of the Valencia Opera. It was the first building that she had to present in Spanish during a semester abroad. She thinks it is just impressive, especially from a structural engineering point of view.
We clearly agree with her – a great building! Thank you for being with us!
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