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Under the motto “Building is different – new solutions for new tasks”, the Institute of Construction Process and Construction Economics at TU Wien invited guests to Vienna on September 18th, 2025, for the 8th International BBB Congress. The congress day was part of a multi-day supporting program that offered a wide range of opportunities for in-depth professional exchange and for establishing and maintaining professional networks.
The event kicked off with an atmospheric get-together at the Justizcafé on Wednesday, September 17th. Speakers, professors from the BBB network, partner companies, and university assistants took advantage of the relaxed atmosphere above the rooftops of the city to exchange ideas and make initial contacts over excellent food and cool drinks.
The conference day on September 18th was opened by Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Lulei (event chairman, TU Wien), Prof. Detlef Heck (spokesperson for the program committee, TU Graz), and Dipl.-Ing. Katharina Fröch (chair of the Federal Section of Architects), who set the technical framework and emphasized the importance of the event in their introductory remarks.
This was followed by two keynote speeches by Dipl.-Ing. Mag.a Gudrun Senk (Managing Director for Technical Affairs, Construction and Facility Management, Wiener Linien) and Mag.iur. Wolfgang Hussian (Head of the Legal Department, Porr). In their presentations, they provided key food for thought on the future development of the construction industry and made it clear that in future, construction must not focus solely on costs, but above all on the responsible use of scarce resources such as materials, space, and skilled workers. At the same time, they emphasized the importance of a cooperative project culture that goes beyond pure contract models. Both speakers made it clear that digitalization and artificial intelligence will play a decisive role in shaping construction processes and legal frameworks in the coming years.
Following the keynote speeches, Vice Dean Assoc. Prof. Dr. Christian Schranz welcomed the participants and introduced the TU Wien, whose history dates back to 1815.
The conference day featured a packed and varied program covering six key topics: sustainable construction, residential construction in Vienna, integrated project management, selected infrastructure projects, selected tunnel construction projects, and the construction industry. The individual presentations were held in different rooms on the campus Gußhausstraße, giving participants the opportunity to attend different lectures depending on their professional interests.
Particular attention was paid to resource conservation and sustainability, which were highlighted as key future tasks for the construction industry. In addition, numerous speakers presented innovative project management and contract models and used completed projects to illustrate how cooperative processes can lead to reliable and economically viable results. The diversity of content met with great interest and sparked stimulating and in-depth technical discussions.
The Institute of Construction Management and Economics at TU Wien was particularly pleased that Dr. Peter Krammer (President of VIBÖ, CEO of Swietelsky), a prominent representative of the industry, could be secured to deliver the closing remarks. Dr. Krammer highlighted the diversity and quality of the presentations, which illustrated the breadth of the construction industry and the common challenges it faces - from digitalization and automation to demographic changes and the shortage of skilled workers. He emphasized that cooperation and new process models remain crucial for implementing complex projects efficiently and in a future-proof manner.
In their closing remarks, Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Lulei and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Detlef Heck looked back on an insightful conference day, thanked all speakers, contributors, and sponsors, and turned their attention to the next BBB Congress in 2027, which will take place in Berlin.
On Friday, September 19th, the professors devoted a full-day workshop to an in-depth discussion of future topics in the construction industry. The supporting program concluded in the evening with a get-together at the Heurigen 10er Marie. In a relaxed atmosphere, the participants took the opportunity to continue their discussions and bring the 8th International BBB Congress to a pleasant close.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to the sponsors of this event, the organizing team led by Dipl.-Ing. Alexander Polansky, the program committee, and all the speakers.
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Photo credits: Ben Kaulfus