Dear Colleagues,

This year, the historic Hanseatic city of Hamburg is hosting our STUVA Conference. From this “Gateway to the World” hundreds of thousands of people once set out with dreams and hopes to begin a new life in America. The city therefore stands for new beginnings, tolerance and openness like no other. These are also values that hold great importance within STUVA.

Especially now, our industry is facing particular challenges, as we need to renew and further expand infrastructure that has been neglected for many years. It is not just a matter of rebuilding transport facilities and tunnels using the most advanced planning and engineering technology, but also of upgrading existing infrastructure in both structural and operational terms to make it fit for the future and highly efficient. This requires people who, regardless of short-term political trends, work on sustainable solutions for the future with technical expertise, courage, and vision. Hamburg is at the forefront of this development with the construction of the new U5 metro line and new infrastructure for a modern energy supply.

As in previous years, this year’s conference in Hamburg will once again be a place for collegial and professional exchange, characterised by a shared commitment to create a functioning, safe, economical, and sustainable infrastructure. In addition to the classic topics, we are therefore increasingly focusing on future-oriented topics such as sustainability, digitalisation, CO₂ reduction through the use of innovative building materials, underground energy routes, and the removal of bureaucratic obstacles in the planning and approval process, to name just a few. A closer look at the programme in front of you will surely catch your interest.

We are very pleased to welcome you back to Hamburg after 1993 and 2009 – for exciting presentations, in-depth discussions, fresh inspiration from the accompanying exhibition and, above all, the familiar sense of community that has always defined the distinctive character of this conference.