GROUNDBREAKERS Summit 2025

The presence of the Rector of HFT Stuttgart, Prof Dr Katja Rade, and the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Design, Prof Jan Cremers, was a special sign of the importance of the summit. Both took an active part and emphasised the relevance of the event for science, teaching and Stuttgart as a location for innovation with their presence. Their participation lent the summit additional appeal and showed how important the dialogue between universities, industry and start-ups is for the future of construction.

In his keynote speech, Prof Dr Patrick Planing, founder and initiator of GROUNDBREAKERS, presented the latest developments:

• European GROUNDBREAKERS Challenge - the challenge has been extended to European start-ups, with a special focus on nature-based construction.
• Federal Research Centre for Construction and Building Resources Platform - new initiatives for networking knowledge and materials.
• Acceleration Programme 2026 - launched in spring with the aim of bringing innovations into practice even faster.
• White paper on collaboration between start-ups and established companies - a practical guide to successful cooperation. A supplementary trend report is already in the works.
• KösterGmbH was introduced as a new GROUNDBREAKERS partner.

"Our goal remains: to initiate as many pilot projects as possible," says Planing. For this to succeed, we need courageous partners from the industry - and that is exactly what the summit was all about: how can start-ups and established companies work together successfully?

Prof Dr Tobias Gutmann addressed this question in his inspiring keynote speech. The Associate Professor of Technology & Innovation Management at EBS Business School showed how companies can effectively integrate start-ups - through clear processes, cultural change and targeted venture clienting. His appeal: if you really want innovation, you have to see start-ups as partners at eye level.

Eight outstanding start-ups then presented their innovations:

• diafania - AI platform for value creation from unstructured building data
• hanz - digital construction app that simplifies processes on the construction site and connects teams in real time
• LastBIM - ensures the data quality of digital building models and creates the basis for the digitalisation of the industry
• Flexfy - makes walls and ceilings flexibly electrifiable and rooms convertible
• dcarbonize - develops a prefabricated refurbishment façade that makes serial refurbishment 50% cheaper
• conzai - AI for architecture and construction planning that radically shortens planning times
• effinigo - increases energy efficiency through smart IoT technologies in existing buildings
• Sitegeist Robotics - develops an autonomous construction robot that addresses the shortage of skilled labour and efficiency problems in the construction industry

The Wolfgang Dürr Foundation pools the social commitment of the WOLFF & MÜLLER Group and stands for sustainable business, education and innovation. Its aim is to combine social responsibility with entrepreneurial thinking - in the spirit of a sustainable construction industry.
By supporting young companies, initiatives and innovative projects, the foundation makes an important contribution to the transformation of the industry. The fact that it has sponsored the two prizes at the GROUNDBREAKERS Summit 2025 is an expression of its clear commitment not only to demand innovation, but also to actively promote it. Without this commitment, many of the GROUNDBREAKERS success stories would not exist.

Moderated by Chris Veit, the summit offered a stage for doers, visionaries and courageous people who want to actively change the construction and property industry. Intensive discussions and workshops gave rise to new collaborations, pilot projects and partnerships that demonstrate that Innovation succeeds together.

A big thank you goes to our partners WOLFF & MÜLLER, Sika, Stadtwerke Stuttgart, Unternehmensgruppe Metzger, MÖRK, Siemens and Köster. Your support made the GROUNDBREAKERS Summit 2025 possible. Together, we are creating an environment in which ideas grow - and the future is created.