From 24 to 26 March 2026, approximately 300 exhibitors and thousands of industry visitors will gather in Cologne for digitalBAU – the leading trade fair for digital transformation in the construction industry. The four official key themes reflect the direction in which the sector is moving: away from isolated tools, towards networked, data-driven and sustainable processes. For architecture and planning practices, this means that those who understand these trends today will be able to work more efficiently, more sustainably and more competitively tomorrow.
The Four Megatrends at a Glance
Urban Mining & Cradle to Cradle
Buildings are becoming the material warehouses of the future. Digital tools – from building resource passports to BIM-based material tracking – make it possible to recover and reuse built-in materials at the end of their lifecycle. Concepts such as Design for Disassembly and upcycling are moving from theory into practice.
Plan faster, build more efficiently
BIM, modular prefabrication, serial construction methods and digital building permits create transparency, reduce costs and accelerate projects. The key lies in seamless data flows across all project phases – from the initial sketch through to handover to the building operator.
Artificial Intelligence changes everything
AI and machine learning are replacing repetitive, analogue working methods – from automated floor plan optimisation and AI-assisted cost estimation to quality control on the construction site. Generative design and AI in urban planning demonstrate how far the technology has already advanced.
The existing building stock as a future market
70 % of all construction activity in Germany concerns existing buildings. Scan-to-BIM, digital refurbishment simulations and energy analyses make renovation projects more precise and scalable. With its focus theme ‘Digitalisation for Existing Buildings’, digitalBAU 2026 sends a clear signal: refurbishment is no longer a niche topic.
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