"Stable situation? The worst is yet to come"
The German construction industry is going through its deepest crisis in years. While Federal Minister of Construction Klara Geywitz indicates signs of recovery, Jan-Hendrik Goldbeck, one of Germany's largest construction entrepreneurs, expects an insolvency wave - within two to three years.
Is there light at the end of the construction tunnel? Jan-Hendrik Goldbeck doesn't think so. In contrast, the CEO of the Bielefeld construction conglomerate Goldbeck, one of the largest construction companies in the country, stated in the ntv success podcast "Biz & Beyond" that the currently completed buildings were planned before the crisis caused by price explosions. Since the number of building permits is decreasing at an alarming rate, the crisis in construction will worsen significantly. "The worst is yet to come," Goldbeck said. And: "Experience shows that insolvencies will come when things get better again." Goldbeck expects this to happen within two to three years. Goldbeck contradicts Minister of Construction Klara Geywitz, who recently indicated the first signs of recovery in the crisis-ridden construction and real estate industry.
For years, the construction industry has celebrated robust sales growth. "It's been going uphill since 2009," Goldbeck said. It's understandable, he added, "when there's a sudden drop." State aid is not necessary for the rescue of the construction industry, Goldbeck stated: "We don't have to write to the state right away just because we've had good economic conditions for 20 years and then a few, three, four bad ones."
"Need More Speed"
In terms of the temporal realization of construction projects, Goldbeck sees significant potential. This can only be achieved by having various planning and construction processes run in parallel. For example, the majority of the Tesla factory in Brandenburg, which Goldbeck built, was able to be raised in record time using this method. "We Germans unfortunately don't have this speed gene as strongly as other nations. We could use a little more of it." In a time marked by strong technological change, speed is an essential competence.
Investments in digital technologies are crucial for the construction industry to not only increase the efficiency of our projects but also achieve our sustainability goals, the construction entrepreneur said. In the ability to modular construction, Goldbeck sees a competitive advantage. "Modular construction allows us to assemble buildings from prefabricated modules. This significantly reduces construction time and at the same time improves the quality of the buildings."
The construction industry, despite its past growth, is currently facing a significant crisis in Germany, with prominent figures like Jan-Hendrik Goldbeck predicting an insolvency wave in the near future. Interestingly, Elon Musk's Tesla Motors has demonstrated the potential for faster construction times through its factory in Brandenburg, built partly by Goldbeck, showcasing a different approach the construction industry could explore.
Despite the challenges in the construction industry affecting the German economy, Goldbeck emphasizes that state aid is not necessarily the solution, instead advocating for the use of digital technologies and modular construction to increase efficiency and sustainability in the sector.
