A German automotive manufacturer is deploying ‘electronic eyes’ and image processing technology from VMT Vision Machine Technic Bildverarbeitungssysteme and IDS Imaging Development Systems to automate the loading and unloading of pressed metal components. Robots perform monotonous workflows and repetitive tasks brilliantly. When paired with image processing technologies, they can become “seeing” members of production teams…
Germany
Strabag Building and Industrial Services GmbH has completed a merger with its parent company, Strabag Property and Facility Services (Strabag PFS). The company, which formerly traded as DIW Instandhaltung following the 2014 acquisition of the DIW Group by Strabag PFS and its rebranding to Strabag Building and Industrial Services in 2021. At the time of…
EPLAN is integrating its electrical engineering and fluid-power technology solutions with Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform to support the workflows of clients who are common to both companies. Under the terms of the agreement signed by Dassault Systèmes managing director for Central Europe, Dominic Kurtaz and EPLAN & Cideon CEO, Sebastian Seitz, the partners will contribute…
Research published by Sony Professional Displays and Solutions Europe provides a clear picture of new working habits and preferences from the perspective of employees as well as businesses. According to the Sony State of Offices Report 2023, over two fifths (41%) of UK office workers still prefer to work from a dedicated company office, and across Europe…
In 2023, global sensor manufacturer Leuze Group celebrates 60 years since the launch ot its electronics division. Today, over 1,600 ‘Sensor People’ worldwide create the innovations of tomorrow: Sensor and safety solutions in automation technology. Who would have imagined the launch of a fragile “Electronics” seedling as a division of Leuze would have created a…
A collaboration between Sonar Real Estate and MeteoViva Deutschland is reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption at The Squaire, a landmark commercial development adjacent to Frankfurt Airport. MeteoViva previously conducted a detailed feasibility study which projected minimum carbon savings of 400 metric tonnes (or around 14 per cent) and energy savings of 20 per cent…
Sulzer Chemtech is investing in a new service hub for mass transfer components and tower field services in the Econova industrial park in Essen, Germany. The new facility will provide customers with additional localised manufacturing and engineering capabilities. This will enhance the ability for quick delivery of mass transfer components through an express dispatch service.…
A global manufacturer of compressors, blowers, pumps and vacuum products will cut emissions by 60 per cent this year, seven years ahead of its environmental target. Ingersoll Rand will achieve the milestone at its Elmo Rietschle plant in Bad Neustadt, Germany, thanks to innovative solar-powered technology worth over US $1 million. The plant will finalise…
Sigfox operator and IoT network Heliot Europe has appointed Gareth Mitchell as UK Partner Manager following its acquisition of WND UK’s Sigfox 0G™ network operations. Heliot Europe is the exclusive operator of the global Sigfox 0G network in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, the UK, Denmark and Liechtenstein. Mitchell, who has previously worked for BT Wholesale and…
Heliot Europe, a prominent Sigfox operator and independent IoT network provider, has successfully completed the full integration of the Sigfox 0G™ network operations of WND UK and IoT Denmark. The strategic consolidation positions Heliot as a leading player in Europe’s IoT and 0G-WAN™ network landscape, solidifying its status as the largest provider of IoT network…
Global AV over IP (AVoIP) solutions provider Kramer Electronics has appointed Marco Widmann as its new Area Sales Manager for Central Germany and the DACH market. Widmann who brings substantial AV/IT expertise to the team will report to Gerrit Lipgens, who recently became Country Manager for Germany. Widmann’s new responsibilities encompass building and solidifying partnerships,…
FCA-regulated investment platform Shojin has entered into partnerships with LINUS Digital Finance, a German real estate investment platform and Estonian real estate crowdfunding platform, Reinvest24. London-based Shojin offers a co-investment model to allow individuals to invest in real estate assets, including institutional-grade property development projects. Founded in 2016, Berlin-based LINUS also harnesses technology and real estate expertise to give…
Philip Simpson, commercial director at ReFood, discusses the financial and environmental benefits of adopting food waste recycling practices for UK facilities teams. The global food supply chain has experienced a hugely challenging few years. From the impacts of Brexit and the long-term disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, to irreversible pressures on supply, production and logistics…
Mitie Defence Ltd has been awarded a new £150 million integrated facilities management contract in Germany and Italy by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), an operating arm of the UK Ministry of Defence. Covering the MOD’s military accommodation, as well as military and adventurous training sites in Germany and a school and office building in…
Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC – Masdar, the UAE’s renewable energy company, is expanding its presence in the global clean energy landscape through partnerships in Malaysia and Germany. Masdar and Citaglobal Berhad Collaborate in Malaysia Masdar has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Citaglobal Berhad, a significant step towards fostering renewable energy development…
GEFMA, the German Association for Facility Management, has issued Directive GEFMA 445 addressing the certification of Computer Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) solutions which rely on IoT data to manage FM processes. Over half of all Computer Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) software products on sale in Germany are estimated to conform with the previous standard, GEFMA…
Autonomous post sortation company LiBiao Robotics has selected Frankfurt for its new European headquarters, inaugurating a new office space with a showroom and demonstration zones for visitors. Founder and CEO, Xia Huiling, says: “Apart from providing a base for our European sales and service teams, the new premises will be a place where logistics professionals can…
A new Service Center opened by Sulzer in Lausitz provides a range of technically advanced repair and upgrade capabilities for rotating equipment with a focus on the power generation, petrochemical, paper and water sectors. Consolidating the activities of the company’s former Jaenschwalde and Schwarze Pumpe Service Centers at a single location centralises and enhances Sulzer’s…
A recent public opinion survey conducted for ISS by Opinium sheds light on the topic of ‘Belonging in the Workplace.’ The research, based on responses from 4,500 individuals working in various industries below management level within organisations with over 250 employees, was conducted between 15th March 2023 and 26th April 2023. Participants represented a cross-section…
SolarEdge Technologies has launched a Bi-Directional DC EV Charger at Intersolar Europe. The new charger will enable solar-powered Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) functionalities and is expected to be commercially available in the second half of 2024. Based on SolarEdge’s innovative DC-coupled architecture, the Charger offers several benefits: Charging the EV directly from PV with…
Metsä Tissue, a subsidiary of the Metsä Group which is headquartered in Espoo, Finland, is joining German research network “Modellfabrik Papier in Düren” as a shareholding partner. The network supports emissions-free paper production with the objective of achieving 80% energy savings and climate neutrality in paper manufacturing by 2045, thereby aligning with the objectives of…
More than 1,100 URW Westfield staff from retail destinations across Europe and the United States volunteered to support their local community for a day in May. Austria In Austria, approximately 90% of URW Westfield staff volunteered with Caritas Österreich to help renovate a Viennese garden center that employs individuals with cognitive disabilities. The tasks involved…
Swedish heat pump manufacturer Qvantum has appointed industry veteran Wolfgang Herold as managing director of its new subsidiary, Qvantum Energietechnik GmbH. Herold brings over 18 years of industry experience to the role, having held senior positions at heat pump manufacturers in Germany and in other European countries. The company, which has developed and produced heat…
SolarEdge Technologies is set to unveil new power optimizers for the residential as well as commercial and industrial (C&I) markets at Intersolar in Munich from 14-16th June. For the C&I segment, the company is introducing the 2:1 S1400 Power Optimizer for high-input, bifacial and high-power 700W modules, including G12 modules. Based on patented technology and…
As it celebrates its 60th anniversary, Dussmann Group has announced record sales of €2.8 billion in fiscal year 2022. The company maintained an EBITDA margin of 6.1%, against 6.4% the previous year, with Dussmann Technical Solutions and the Italian market played crucial roles in fueling its growth. However, Dussmann Group also faced challenges, including the…
A new report from Aggreko maps out opportunities for facility stakeholders in major European data centre markets to maintain site resilience in a challenging energy climate. Titled Uptime on the Line, the new two-part whitepaper interviewed 700 data centre professionals consulting for large businesses in the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.…
ProVeg International, the global NGO campaigning for ‘food system change’, has welcomed new data showing a record decline in German meat consumption as more people shift to healthier, climate-friendly diets. The figures from The Federal Information Centre for Agriculture (BZL) reveal per capita consumption of meat fell by 4.2 kilograms between 2021 and 2022 to…
Qvantum Energi AB, the Swedish company behind an under-the-sink heat pump for apartments on district heating networks, has received a Design Plus powered by ISH award from a panel of judges including the German Design Council. The awards celebrate “future-proof” products that exhibit an optimum combination of sustainability, aesthetic appeal, and functionality, and are considered one of the…
Planon has acquired Bremen-based control.IT Unternehmensberatung GmbH, and subsidiaries easol GmbH and Synapplix GmbH as it strengthens its cloud-based real estate (RE) asset and portfolio management capabilities. control.IT has supported the real estate sector in Germany for more than 27 years, and has a user base across the DACH region and worldwide. Its SaaS products,…
The Dussmann Group has updated its distinctive umbrella motif and corporate branding as it marks its 60th anniversary. The initials of company founder Peter Dussmann, who died in 2013, have been retained as a features of its logo – with the colour and design carefully adapted and modernised. The shade of red used is now…
The City of Hamburg has selected a consortium led by smart building data company MeteoViva and automation solutions provider Sauter-Cumulus to retrofit its real estate portfolio with complementary solutions to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. A 98 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions from publicly-owned properties is an essential requirement of Hamburg’s ambition to become…
An independent survey of 2,500 employees in buildings with more than 500 employees sponsored by Honeywell in Germany, India, the UK, the U.S.A., and the Middle East, finds a majority want employers to implement better indoor air quality (IAQ) and reduce their building’s carbon footprints. Ninety-four per cent of the sample for the Healthy Buildings…
Food awareness organisation ProVeg International is welcoming a recent announcement of an increase in the number of plant-based products offered by German retailer Lidl. Lidl chief buyer, Christof Graf, announced the retailer’s decision to decrease animal protein and increase plant protein at Germany’s biggest agricultural show, Green Week, stating there is no alternative because “there…
infinitSpace has entered into a strategic partnership with CG Elementum, the German commercial real estate developer with multiple sites across the country. The new partnership will facilitate infinitSpace’s nationwide expansion across Germany, with two new flexible workspaces already confirmed. Both buildings are owned by the Gröner Group and are being developed by CG Elementum, with…
STRABAG PFS has acquired ADOMUS Facility-Management, an owner managed facility services provider with locations in Hamburg, Munich, Hanover, Cologne, Frankfurt and Düsseldorf. ADOMUS’ customer base of institutional investors and property owners attaches particular importance to self-delivery of services. “With the acquisition of ADOMUS, we are further expanding our client portfolio and growing in a strategically…
Institutional real estate fund and asset manager KanAm Grund Group has installed Meteoviva’s smart building control system at the 45-storey Trianon building in Frankfurt am Main under an innovative “Sustainable Buildings as a Service” model which requires no up-front investment. Two other buildings in the Group’s portfolio – Campus E in Munich and a property…
Savills Investment Management (Savills IM) has acquired two properties in Lyon, France, and Milan, Italy, for a total of approximately €110 million for the investment mandate of a southern German pension fund. The purchase in Milan is an off-market transaction. These are the first purchases in France and Italy for the portfolio, which has been…
New research from Sony Professional Displays & Solutions reveals UK and German retailers are preparing proactively for the critical Christmas and New Year trading period as their counterparts in France adopt a more laissez-faire approach. Despite retailers entering the first un-disrupted Christmas since 2019, close to half (43%) of those in the Europe are concerned…
Aramark will be the first foodservice company in Germany to begin using fully automated kitchen robots in its corporate restaurants. The robotic kitchen innovation from Berlin-based start-up Aitme prepares dishes such as pasta, bowls, and salads from fresh ingredients to order. The collaboration creates new opportunities for Aramark business and industry clients by offering greater…
The German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) is now recognising installations of the MeteoViva Climate smart building and energy management platform as qualifying for silver certification under its “Building in Operation” scheme. In 2021, the platform became the first to be recognised as a service by DGNB. Following the most recent announcement, owners and operators of…
Aramark Germany has recently introduced a series of plant-forward recipes based on recommendations from scientists at the EAT-Lancet Commission. “The EAT-Lancet Commission’s Planetary Health Diet reduces the environmental footprint while having a positive impact on health,” explains Ulrike Moessner, Head of Culinary Creation and Nutrition at Aramark Germany, and a member of its sustainability council.…
Global solar-driven sector coupling manufacturer Solarwatt GmbH has announced a more than doubling of like-for-like sales for the first three quarters of 2022 to €250 million (£218 million). The Dresden-based company has sold almost 50,000 photovoltaic systems across Europe in the current financial year, including 24,500 systems in Germany. In the first three quarters of…
Savills Investment Management (Savills IM) has advised on the acquisition of a newly constructed office and commercial building at Kurfürstendamm 12 in Berlin for Versicherungskammer. The seller is the RFR-Group, which acquired the asset in 2021. The prestigious new building in Berlin’s premium location comprises more than 6,500 sqm of rental space across six floors…
Vodafone Germany has retained STRABAG Property and Facility Services (STRABAG PFS) as the sole provider of integrated facilities management (IFM) services for its managed real estate portfolio of around 400 properties totalling some 400,000 square metres under a new two-year contract with an extended remit. The portfolio include Vodafone retail outlets, technical buildings, call centres,…
Leading German real asset and investment manager Wealthcap is using MeteoViva’s predictive building control system to reduce energy use and CO2 emissions in a commercial location at Ganghoferstrasse 27-29 in Munich. To finance the transformation in how it monitors and controls energy usage, Wealthcap is utilising a new Sustainable Buildings as a Service model introduced…
STRABAG Property and Facility Services GmbH (STRABAG PFS) has announced Dr Marion Henschel will succeed Martin Schenk as the Chair of its Management Board on 31 December 2022. As co-Chief Executive Officer, Henschel has served alongside Schenk who has voluntary indicated he will not be renewing his employment contract when it expires in December, since…
Linde GmbH has appointed STRABAG PFS subsidiary, STRABAG Building and Industrial Services GmbH, to deliver a range of integrated hard and soft FM services at three production sites in Bavaria, following a competitive tender process. A M&E contract was signed on 1 June, with a second contract governing building fabric and infrastructure agreed on 1…
O2 Telefónica Deutschland has appointed STRABAG PFS as the exclusive provider of integrated facilities management (IFM) services for its portfolio of 275 retail outlets, data centres and 15 office buildings across Germany, includes the 37-storey O2 Tower in Munich. The three-year contract which takes effect from September 2022 includes a two-year option to extend, and…
For the first time in FIA World Rallycross Championship history, a gender equal full-season driver line-up will be represented on the 2022 grid by Construction Equipment Dealer Team. The talented duo of Klara Andersson and Niclas Grönholm will drive for the Swedish team in the world’s most exciting electric motorsport category – a team headed…
The Dussmann Group closed the 2021 financial year with consolidated group sales of €2.31 billion – the highest in the company’s history, with the company also reporting an increase in its EBITDA margin to 6.4 per cent. The profitable growth came as a result of the family-owned company consistently implementing its “Next Level” strategy, adopted…