Bauma 2013: Industry Remains Optimistic Despite Crisis Fears In Europe

The building and building material machines industry is assuming moderate growth to continue in 2012. For example, according to information from the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), following a good performance in 2011, German manufacturers of building and building material machines are again banking on turnover to increase in the current year. This will provide the best possible conditions for bauma, the International Trade Fair for Construction Machinery, Building Material Machines, Mining Machines, Construction Vehicles and Construction Equipment, which will take place from April 15-21, 2013 in Munich. The signals for medium- to long-term growth in the building and building material machines industry are positive: worldwide building activity has grown significantly in recent years. For the time being, this trend will continue unchanged. Growth is being driven by the up-and-coming developing and threshold countries, headed by the BRIC states. Their success story of economic liberalisation and the associated building boom will continue, notwithstanding temporary effects such as measures to cool the Chinese economy. Average annual growth in the global building industry of more than 4 percent between now and 2015 will ensure a sustained demand for plant and machinery. This trend is already apparent from registrations for the next bauma. Georg Moller, Exhibition Group Director of Messe München International, indicates, "Our interim assessment as the closing date for applications is reached is extremely positive. Feedbacks are exceeding our expectations. The demand for space is very high." Despite this, growth in the individual sectors of the building and building material machines industry and also between different regions of the world varies in intensity. For example, the German building machine market is again at a very high level whereas, especially in southern Europe, the situation continues to be very fraught. North America, Russia and, assuming a certain stability, North Africa, are gradually returning to a growth path. Asia and Latin America remain the growth locomotives. Apart from earth-moving and road building machinery, the strongest growth within the industry this year is expected to be for machines for building construction, mineral processing machinery and concrete block machines. About bauma bauma, the International Trade Fair for Construction Machinery, Building Material Machines, Mining Machines, Construction Vehicles and Construction Equipment, takes place from 15 to 21 April 2013 at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre. The last bauma, in 2010, attracted 3,256 exhibitors from 53 countries, and over 420,000 visitors from more than 200 nations. Covering a total of 555,000 square metres of exhibition space, bauma is the largest trade show in the world.