Housing construction - Heil will digital renewal - Houses from 3D printers
Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) calls for a digital renewal of the German industry. Houses could be built in large numbers in Germany using 3D printers, Heil said during a trip to the USA in Austin (Texas). "That's exactly what we need in Germany," Heil said, facing the local building crisis.
Rough construction in one to two weeks
Heil visited a partially still under construction settlement of series-built bungalows. "It's really strange how quickly they're building a rough construction here with a 3D printer," Heil reported, amazed by the project leader, Caleb Mann. The construction time for rough construction is only one to two weeks, as Mann informed the astonished German minister. The cost for a turnkey bungalow: around 500,000 Dollars (around 462,000 Euro), as it says in real estate ads.
Heil himself had nothing against living in a 3D-printed house, he said. "I found it very appealing and beautiful." The houses have good room climate and high energy efficiency. "Quality of life can also be good," Heil added.
Heil sees opportunities for construction workers
"We must put technology in the service of social progress," Heil said. The goal must be that the machines take away hard and heavy work from people and that they can then focus on things that computers and robots cannot. In the construction industry: this method offers opportunities through the use of Artificial Intelligence.
"Construction workers in Germany work in the wind and rain and are exposed to dangers on the construction site," Heil said. If the heaviest work in rough construction is completely taken over by machines, people could further develop themselves and also do other work. So human work is still necessary for the interior construction. "Human work will always be needed in construction." This applies to the industry as a whole.
Heil for renewal
Heil also visited a tech company in Austin, USA, the day before, which modernizes entire industrial sectors with Artificial Intelligence. "We must also ensure that we work together on such issues across the Atlantic," Heil said. Germany must now also catch up more strongly on digital progress. "We must design it," Heil said. "We must start moving."
Heil sees the chances of Germany in the race for new technologies and their application as good. "We have a strong industrial base, which must be maintained by digitalizing it," Heil urged. Unlike in the USA, however, much less private capital is invested in modernization in Germany.
295,000 new dwellings instead of the planned 400,000
Heil's construction-responsible cabinet colleague Klara Geywitz (SPD) confirmed recently that she sees serial construction as a future model. The large gaps on the German housing market can be filled more quickly this way. Against the background of the German building crisis and the housing shortage, in particular in cities, Heil announced that he would push for such houses to be built in Germany as well.
Due to the strongly increased interest rates and construction costs, the housing market is in crisis. Private builders are just as reluctant to take on building projects as large investors, and many projects are being cancelled. Building permits have also decreased - a bad sign for the future.
The federal government had aimed for 400,000 new dwellings per year when taking office - a number that experts also consider ambitious under optimal conditions. Last year, only around 295,000 new dwellings were completed in Germany, which is a little less than the previous year.
- Hubertus Heil, the Federal Labor Minister from Germany, suggested that 3D printers could be utilized for mass housing construction in Germany, as observed during his trip to Austin, Texas in the United States of America.
- The construction of a rough structure using a 3D printer in Austin, Texas, was completed in a surprising one to two weeks, as reported by Hubertus Heil after visiting a settlement of series-built bungalows.
- In Austin, Texas, Hubertus Heil experienced the speed and efficiency of 3D housing construction, which he found to be a potential solution to Germany's building crisis, facing challenges in housing production.
- With the likelihood of reduced manual labor and hard work due to 3D printing technology, Hubertus Heil believes that German construction workers can focus on more specialized tasks, enhancing their overall growth and potential.
- Hubertus Heil visited a tech company in Austin, Texas, that modernizes industries with Artificial Intelligence, emphasizing the importance of cross-Atlantic cooperation in the digital age and strengthening Germany's position in the race for new technologies.
- Recognizing Germany's need to close the digital gap, Hubertus Heil urged the German government to design a strategy for further digitalization and reinforce the strong industrial base of the country.
- Despite the reluctance of private builders and large investors in Germany's housing market, Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil advocated for the implementation of 3D housing construction as a viable solution to address housing shortages in urban areas.
