digitalBAU 2028: digital construction in practice

24–26 April 2028
Koelnmesse, Cologne, Germany

digitalBAU is a trade fair for digital solutions in the construction industry, spanning planning, building and the operation and management of buildings. Messe München organises the event. The 2028 edition is scheduled at Koelnmesse in Cologne; the organiser announced a move from March to April to create more space between other spring industry dates.

The event connects providers of construction IT hardware, software and digital solutions with architecture and engineering, industry and trade, research, associations and public-sector stakeholders.

Why digitalBAU matters to construction professionals

Evaluate connected workflows

Construction teams can use the fair to examine how building information modelling (BIM), software and hardware support collaboration across planning, construction and building operation. Compare how products handle data exchange, coordination and the transition between project stages.

Explore process improvement and AI

The organiser’s 2028 focus includes digital process optimisation and productive use of artificial intelligence. These themes are relevant to teams assessing where digital tools may support recurring tasks, improve transparency or help address coordination and skills challenges. Specific 2028 products and programme sessions have not yet been detailed.

Consider existing buildings and circular construction

Digital tools for the existing building stock, renovation and circular construction connect data-led planning with resource reuse. The fair’s four announced focus areas are circular construction, digital process optimisation, AI and digitalisation for existing buildings.

Published scale

• In 2026, the organiser reported 300 exhibitors.
• The organiser reported around 11,000 visitors in 2026.
• The 2026 event covered around 17,000 m².

These are figures for the 2026 edition, not forecasts for 2028.

Who should visit digitalBAU?

Architects, engineers and BIM teams

Useful if you are comparing digital design, modelling and coordination approaches. Set a project-based question before attending: for example, how a tool could fit your current design-to-construction data flow. Compare interoperability, required information and handover needs rather than judging a solution by its demonstration alone.

Construction companies and contractors

Useful if you want to assess site-facing software, digital process coordination or technologies relevant to construction execution. Identify a recurring workflow or coordination problem, then ask providers how the approach would fit existing site practices, systems and staff capabilities.

Building owners and facilities professionals

Useful if your work involves operation, maintenance, renovation or upgrading existing buildings. Focus on how building data can remain useful after construction and what information, integration and implementation effort a solution requires.

What can you find at digitalBAU?

• Building information modelling and digital construction workflows
• Construction software, IT hardware and digital solutions
• AI and machine-learning applications for construction processes
• Digital process optimisation across planning and building
• Digitalisation of existing buildings and renovation
• Digital approaches to circular construction and resource reuse

These categories reflect the organiser’s description and announced 2028 focus. The detailed 2028 exhibitor catalogue has not yet been confirmed.

What makes digitalBAU distinctive?

Its scope follows digital solutions across the building lifecycle. The organiser describes a connection between IT and digital-solution providers and stakeholders in architecture, engineering, industry, trade, research, associations and politics. This breadth makes it relevant to visitors comparing how data and digital tools connect design, construction and building operation.

At the 2026 edition, the organiser reported four forum stages and about 90 talks and discussions, with AI a major topic. The programme also included the German Construction Award, the “Auf IT gebaut” awards and start-up pitches; around 60 start-ups presented in 2026. These are previous-edition examples, not a confirmed 2028 schedule. The organiser says conferences and start-ups will have a prominent role in 2028.

How to prepare for digitalBAU

1. Choose a project objective. Decide whether you are evaluating BIM coordination, site processes, AI, renovation or building operations.
2. Write down your current workflow. Note the systems, data handovers and people involved so you can ask providers specific questions about fit and interoperability.
3. Prepare comparison criteria. Consider implementation effort, data exchange, integration with existing tools, staff needs and how success would be assessed in your own project.
4. Check current visitor information. The organiser’s 2028 visitor pages and detailed programme may be updated as the event approaches; confirm registration, opening information and the exhibitor catalogue there.

Making useful comparisons on site

For each solution you investigate, record the provider, the construction stage it supports, the data it needs, systems it can exchange information with, implementation requirements and your next question. For AI or automation tools, distinguish a demonstrated capability from a feature that still requires project-specific validation.

For existing-building applications, compare how information is collected, updated and handed over to the people responsible for operation or renovation. For circular-construction tools, ask how material information and reuse decisions are represented in the digital workflow.

Getting to Koelnmesse

The organiser lists the venue address as Messeplatz, 51063 Cologne, with the North Entrance. Its visitor travel information describes access by local public transport, rail, car and air. The named rail destination is Köln Messe/Deutz station; the organiser also identifies tram and underground lines 3 and 4 for the Koelnmesse stop. Check the organiser’s current travel and parking information before departure because arrangements may change.

Who should consider exhibiting at digitalBAU?

The fair is relevant to providers of IT hardware, construction software and digital solutions for planning, building and building operation. Companies working in BIM, digital process optimisation, AI applications, existing-building digitalisation or circular-construction workflows may use the event to present their capabilities to professionals across architecture, engineering, construction, industry, trade and research.

Exhibitors should define a concrete objective—such as explaining a workflow, comparing implementation needs with prospective users, or demonstrating an integration approach—and consult the organiser’s exhibitor information for current stand options, deadlines and participation terms.

After digitalBAU: turn observations into decisions

Sort notes by project relevance: immediate technical questions, solutions requiring a closer evaluation, and broader market or technology observations. Follow up with providers for product specifications, interoperability details, implementation requirements or references relevant to your use case. Before selecting a solution, validate claims against your own systems, project constraints and procurement process.

Is digitalBAU worth visiting?

It is most relevant to professionals assessing how digital methods can change construction planning, execution or building operation. Its 2028 themes provide a useful filter for deciding whether the fair matches your needs. A focused visit—built around a real workflow or project question—will make it easier to compare technologies than an unstructured tour.

Cologne digitalBAU 2028 at a glance

Plan your digitalBAU visit with a clear question

Which construction workflow, building-data challenge or renovation decision do you want to understand better? Use that question to choose what to compare, what to ask and what to follow up. Assess solutions against your project’s technical and organisational requirements.

Digital construction opportunities in Germany

Public-sector BIM activity

BIM Deutschland, a federal government-supported initiative, describes BIM as established for federal infrastructure projects and federal buildings, with BIM required in public procurement processes from 1 January 2021. Its national hub and BIM Portal provide guidance, data libraries and web-based tools. These measures show a documented public-sector setting for BIM-related methods, but do not quantify the addressable market or imply that every project uses the same requirements.

What this could mean for market participants

Providers of BIM, data-interoperability and digital project-delivery tools may investigate how their products address information requirements in federal infrastructure and building projects. Public procurement conditions and project specifications need to be checked individually.

Visitors from construction, design and building operations could compare approaches to model exchange, information handover and lifecycle use against their own project needs. The organiser’s 2028 focus on existing buildings and process optimisation also gives renovation and workflow teams relevant subjects to explore, but no specific German market-size or demand figure for these segments was verified for this guide.