There are many reasons for the decline in students in engineering professions. On the one hand, engineering degree programmes are considered demanding and deter potential first-year students. On the other hand, traditional engineering professions are competing with other, changed or newly created occupational fields due to technical change and digitalisation. Some of these are considered more modern and attractive by university applicants.

The basis for a good supply of young engineers in Germany also appears to be problematic. According to a study by Ingenieurmonitor on the skills development of 15-year-old students in mathematics, the number of students with high skills in this area has fallen by around half, from 17 per cent to 8.6 per cent, between 2012 and 2022. This is based on the PISA studies, which still showed a continuous increase in mathematics between 2000 and 2012. From 2012, it went downhill steeply, including in the natural sciences.

At the beginning of 2023, around 2 million of the working population had a degree in engineering. Compared to 2020, this is an increase of 10 %. In fact, only around 1.5 million were actually working as engineers in 2023. The reason for this is that specialists are working in other professional fields. In 2023, only around 84,000 engineers were self-employed in Germany.

Almost two thirds of engineers work in the fields of production and manufacturing, including technical research and development. One in five specialists worked in the fields of construction, architecture, surveying or building services engineering. 16% of engineers work in other engineering professions.

Technical sales and distribution saw particular growth, with an increase of 7.9 per cent. Around 8 per cent of all engineers now work in technical sales and distribution.

Increases in detail:

Technical sales and distribution +7.9 per cent

Transport operations and safety technology +3.7 per cent

Mechanical and automotive engineering +3.1 per cent

Mechatronics, energy and electrical engineering +3.0 per cent

Engineering professions overall +3.0 per cent

Natural sciences and computer science +2.9 per cent

Technical research and production management +2.5 per cent

Construction, architecture, surveying, building services engineering +2.3 per cent

Agriculture, forestry, gardening, landscaping +2.0 per cent

Other areas, e.g. medical technology +1.3 per cent

Metal processing and other manufacturing -0.3 per cent

The question arises as to how the traditional engineering professions can be made more attractive to young people again. After all, new talent is urgently needed. After the slump in vacancies during the Corona crisis, around 71,000 new positions were offered in 2023 alone. A record high.

In fact, around 30% of pupils with good grades can very well imagine studying a technical subject and pursuing an academic technical profession. Among female pupils, the figure is between 12 and 20%, depending on the study.

However, young people often have misconceptions about engineering careers and are not sufficiently informed. Relevant German studies from 2014 to 2024 show that many young people associate engineering careers with traditional activities. They perceive engineering studies as very demanding, boring and selective. The perceived high dropout rate represents a significant image problem for technical degree programmes.

To get young people excited about traditional engineering jobs today, the industry needs to open up more to social media and present itself in an attractive way. For many young people, it is important to work on systemically important tasks. Engineering professions are at the top of the list here. Transformations in various fields are not possible without technical solutions from engineers. A great opportunity.

Young people associate engineering professions, particularly in civil engineering, with hard work and old, outdated structures. It needs to be made clear that this is no longer the case in many places. Fundamentally, the image of engineering professions needs to be worked on. By way of comparison: in the UK, civil engineers are among the top 5 most respected professions, while in Germany they are not even among the top 10.

Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that a solid education in mathematics and natural sciences is a basic requirement for a successful career in an engineering profession. Therefore, the question must be asked as to how these subjects can be made more attractive to students and taught better. The industry itself must then inspire them, which means that industry representatives and decision-makers must increasingly go to schools and communicate the attractiveness of engineering professions themselves.

The number of companies applying artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has been rising continuously since 2021. However, there are still significant differences between large, medium and small companies. According to a recent analysis, half of large companies with more than 250 employees use AI (48 percent). Among medium-sized companies with 50 to 249 employees, only one in four (28 percent) already uses AI, and among small companies (10 to 49 employees), one in six (17 percent) uses AI.

However, the trend towards greater use of artificial intelligence technologies can be seen in companies of all sizes. Compared to the previous year 2023 alone, the number of users rose by +13 percent in large companies, +12 percent in medium-sized companies and +7 percentage points in small companies within a year.

AI is mainly used in text mining (48 percent), speech recognition (47 percent) and natural language generation (34 percent). This in the area of marketing and sales (33 percent). production or service processes (25 percent), administration and management (24 percent) and accounting, controlling and finance (24 percent).

And what about architecture and civil engineering? Although the use of artificial intelligence technologies is also on the rise in the construction sector, many planning and construction processes are still very analog. And of course you can't compare the automotive industry with the construction industry, for example. However, the latter has already created initial answers and fields, such as modular construction with a high degree of prefabrication, the use of BIM (Building Information Modeling), the automation of construction machinery and the diverse use of robots on construction sites (documentation, surveying, occupational safety) in order to make further use of AI.

And precisely because the construction industry is still relatively analog, it has great potential for the application of new AI-based technologies. In Germany, it is estimated at several billion euros over the next decade.

The specific use of artificial intelligence technologies in the planning and construction processes only makes sense if and when they offer significant advantages over human intelligence. The tasks involved in the design, planning and construction process are complex and diverse and are subject to numerous technical requirements, standards and regulations, but above all to the individual ideas of the client.

The greatest potential for the development of artificial intelligence in the construction industry can be quickly identified and are as follows:

• Automation of planning
• Standardization of construction processes
• More use of machines on construction sites, less use of personnel

For simple, modular buildings and structures of the same design, AI can help to advance the repetitive processes involved in planning, manufacturing and construction. Companies that have been using BIM for years already have a good information and data basis for setting up AI applications. In many cases, AI is already being used in the areas of offer processing, awarding and contracting.

In the future, too, individual construction projects will still require architects with design, approval and execution planning expertise and highly specialized structural engineers. However, they can make use of AI, for example when developing floor plan variants. When linked to individual user requirements, design specifications, location and function, as well as the number of rooms, AI can be combined with building regulations to generate optimized floor plan variants and detect errors.

As already mentioned, the focus in terms of the construction process is on modular construction with a high degree of prefabrication. However, the long-term goal is also to use AI-supported technologies on construction sites to have simple and repetitive tasks performed by machines that currently still have to be carried out by physical force. In view of the shortage of skilled workers, simple earthworks, bricklaying, formwork and concrete work, for example, will in future be carried out to a large extent by machine. Qualified personnel would then only be needed for supervision.

The German chambers of engineering estimate that around 20 to 25 percent of planning offices currently use AI. For construction companies, the percentage is around 10 percent, with another 10 percent currently planning to implement AI.

Of course, in the first approach, you first have to identify your discipline, your field of study, in which you are interested and in which you see yourself professionally. This step is important and, as you know, not so easy, but it is crucial for your later life. Note that about 12% of all first-year students change their field of study during their studies, which should not be seen as a bad thing. Rather, it can also be a correction towards an extraordinarily successful future.

Once you have chosen a subject area, you should proceed systematically and define your priorities. What do the individual university programmes include in detail? To what extent does the respective programme match your interests and goals? Then select the five best programmes for you and, in the next step, check whether the locations, the respective country and not only the learning conditions but also the climate could be right for you. Do you prefer a large campus or a small and close-knit community?

Is the programme within your budget? How high are the living and tuition costs? But also: Do you meet all the admission criteria?

Now to the global ranking, the reputation of the universities that come into question for you. How important is the ranking anyway? Only eight out of a hundred employers state that the reputation of the university is important to them when selecting applicants. Rather, companies are more interested in the chosen specialisations of an applicant, the exam grades and the duration of studies.

For companies, the connection between universities and the private sector has become more important. Are there any cooperations regarding the transition from studies to work, especially with regard to potential future leaders?

Whatever the case, check the ranking for your specific field. How active and ambitious is the faculty, how renowned is the research area, how agile are the teachers?

Once you have narrowed your short list down to three options, get out there, visit the campus, contact the university, talk to former students and talk to current students. Try to clarify your most important questions again.

If you still find it difficult to make a decision after careful consideration, remember that many universities also offer so-called ‘taster semesters’, during which you can attend interdisciplinary lectures, for example.

Good luck and engineer the future. But most importantly, do what you are passionate about.

The players in timber construction need good arguments to convince investors to implement large-scale projects in timber construction with more than 100 residential units. After all, they know from their own experience with projects that have already been implemented that construction costs in timber construction are higher than in mineral construction. Around 86% of the players admit this. In particular, the costs for the ceiling constructions are intensive.

The advantages of timber construction are obvious. It is climate-friendly and conserves resources. This renewable and CO2-binding building material already enables climate-neutral to climate-positive overall concepts. It is a clear point victory over the production of cement and concrete, which involves high energy costs and high CO2 emissions. For 89% of the players, the environmental argument is the most compelling. However, many experts also see further advantages of timber construction in the serial production of components (62%) and in the high degree of prefabrication (around 54%) using BIM. In addition, around 65% mention the topic of healthy living and indoor climate, while around 38% cite the positive optics and haptics as arguments in favor of timber construction.

However, investors are also aware that the implementation of large-scale timber construction projects is not (yet) without difficulties. The first difficulties are apparently emerging in the planning phase. The very high normative requirements for timber construction projects in European comparison are the subject of much criticism. Furthermore, the sector lacks timber construction expertise, i.e. high-quality and experienced specialist planners who also understand and follow the modified planning process compared to conventional construction projects in timber construction. Projects in timber frame construction, in CLT construction (glued laminated timber construction) or in hybrid construction (timber + concrete) require more detailed planning at a much earlier stage of the planning process.

So there is still a lot to be done before timber construction can make a breakthrough, especially since high material and construction costs are currently slowing down the general construction trend anyway. A more consistent and fairer weighting of the CO2 balance in the financing and decision-making processes would bring a breakthrough closer. After all, a cubic meter of concrete sometimes costs well under 40% of a cubic meter of wood, while cement and concrete production top the list of CO2 emissions.

To be noted:
Freeze-resistant concretes continue to harden normally after a single freeze-through, but even such concretes do not survive multiple freeze-throughs.
Air entraining agents do not contribute to frost resistance.
The addition of accelerators may lead to faster hardening, but this is difficult to control.

Concrete can be poured in cold weather, provided the necessary precautions are taken:
Increasing the cement content ≥ 300 kg/m³ and/or the use of cement with higher heat development with otherwise the same raw materials.
Reducing the w/c ratio ≥ 0.55 by using a concrete plasticiser or superplasticiser.
Extension of the formwork removal times and the curing time.
Use of materials with increased thermal insulation properties for the formwork and for curing (e.g. thermal mats).
Raising the fresh concrete temperature through targeted heating of the addition water and/or heating of the aggregate.
Protect component or entire building from heat loss and draught.

Concrete may not be poured on frozen ground, nor on frozen building components. on frozen structural elements.
Keep formwork surfaces and reinforcements free of ice and snow, but never with water, but by heat treatment.
The preheated concrete must be placed quickly in the formwork, which must be compacted immediately.
If possible, protect the young concrete from heat extraction during transport and on site.
Precautions must be taken in the poured concrete to measure the concrete temperature continuously.

When placing and during processing, the fresh concrete must not be colder than + 5 °C without special measures. For concrete surfaces with increased requirements, it is recommended that the fresh concrete temperature be increased to + 10 °C. For cement contents below 240 kg/m³ and when using cements with low heat of hydration, the fresh concrete temperature must not be lower than + 10 °C.
At air temperatures below -3 °C, a fresh concrete temperature ≥ + 10 °C must additionally be maintained for at least three days.
In frosty conditions, curing with water is not permitted.

The freeze resistance of the young concrete is reached when it has a compressive strength of 5 N/mm².

For users, the technification of the home does not only mean comforts, such as starting the sauna via app on the way back to home , starting the vacuum robot or simply a fast internet.

No, smart homes can save a lot of energy and money in the long run. The use of smart heating and cooling systems brings energy savings of around 50%.

Understandably, smart homes are becoming increasingly popular because of their benefits and conveniences. In the US, there were approximately 57.4 million households using smart technologies at least once a month in 2022. In Europe, there were around 44 million households in 2022, with a jump to over 97 million households predicted by 2025. In Germany, more than 27.5 million households are expected to be smartly equipped by 2026.

An important driver for this development is the expansion of the fibre-optic network. 8.5 million German households were connected to the fibre optic network in 2021. At the end of 2021, two-thirds of German households had a fibre-optic connection available. And the trend is rising. Supply is increasingly concentrated in rural areas.

Compared to the copper-based network, the fibre-optic network promises 17 times less power consumption.

The advantages of the Smart Home cannot be used carelessly. Caution is advised in the choice of technology. More than 40 percent of smart homes use an end device that is susceptible to cyber attacks, which in the worst case can shut down the entire household.

With the introduction of the HOAI 2021 (Honorarordnung für Architekten und Ingenieure), the fees for planning services are no longer bound to a fixed framework, which obviously leads to problems and quality losses in the implementation of contracts.

Thus, 18% of the respondents stated that the price had been the decisive criterion for the award of the contract in over 90% of their submitted bids. For 64% of the respondents, the price criterion was decisive in over 70% of the bids submitted. 52% of the survey participants also stated that the potential clients had expected a price reduction below the base rates.

The possibility of flat-rate discounts resulted in price reductions of around 30% below the base rates on several occasions.

On top of that, for many of the respondents the award processes are not very transparent. 82% of the respondents state that they have not to receive sufficient justification for their rejection. This is certainly one reason why around 78% of respondents consider it rather useful to publish the evaluation and decision matrix in the public procurement procedures.

The public contracting authorities are called upon to make improvements. The result of the survey cannot be understood in any other way. After all, the effort required to process the bids is not small. 83% of the engineers state that the effort required for the award procedures is rather inadequate or must be rated as much too high.

Surprisingly, the digitalisation of the award procedures is to blame for the increased effort. Actually intended as a simplification, electronic awarding apparently has the opposite effect.

Even investors with a strong awareness of the issue of #sustainability still too often decide against a more climate-friendly design variant for their building projects. There are several reasons for this.

First and foremost, they stick to conventional, but more climate-damaging construction methods for cost reasons. Secondly, they avoid risks that are suspected in the use of new building products, but are mostly rather unfounded.

In order to bring about a rethink here, the legislator is called upon to amend the Building Energy Act (GEG, Gebäudeenergiegesetz) from 2020 so that emissions from the building support structure are limited. In addition, financial incentives must be created for investors in the form of rewards or disadvantages, since up to now no polluter-related damage repair has applied, but the general public has paid for it.

As already mentioned, the potential savings are enormous. Experiences in model projects show that greenhouse gas emissions from the production of the supporting structure can be reduced to up to 70% without changing the marginal criteria (for example, the deformation and settlement criteria or criteria for structural fatigue). Studies according to Wrede/Wong show that the greatest savings potential lies in the foundation structures (approx. 64%) and ceiling structures (approx. 20%). The latter supporting structures are, for example, emission-reducing in the ribbed variant, but more labour-intensive.

However, it is not only the investors who are challenged in the implementation, but also the planners and the construction industry in particular. The planning teams often seem limited in their options. Standards and guidelines often force them into a tight corset of strict requirements. In the meantime, however, many planners have set out to take new innovative paths here and thus also stand out from the competition. The building industry must also make more attractive offers in terms of price with alternative building materials. Modular building and the establishment of cement substitutes are essential "building blocks" on the way to emission-free building.

In the future, it should and must be worthwhile to implement projects in a more sustainable way so that the climate goals can be achieved. In the first step, politics is called upon to create trend-setting incentives. But also planners and the construction industry must also set out to provide know-how and appropriate materials in the future.

What do you think about the topic? How important is sustainability in your construction projects and in the awarding of construction contracts?