E/D/E is organizing the FORUM Building Components for the 10th time – this year in The Hague. Representatives of the building components sector came together under the main theme of sustainability to exchange ideas and gain new impetus on the way to a more sustainable building components industry. The PRO.ELEMENT Award was also presented for the first time as part of the event.
The Hague – At this year’s E/D/E FORUM building components, the focus was on sustainability in addition to the personal exchange between representatives of the construction industry. The venue was chosen to reflect this: The Hague as the “greenest” city in Europe.
Dr. Stefan Drefke, Head of Membership Management at E/D/E and responsible for the building components sector, welcomed 85 E/D/E members and suppliers on 25 April and hosted the event. Together, the participants discussed current developments in the building components sector. The sector is facing major challenges, particularly with regard to increased sustainability requirements.
“In view of the current developments in the construction sector, it is important to develop synergies right now. Everyone can be strong and successful together and individually if the exchange of knowledge and ideas, dialog and networking work,” says Michael Hatke, Head of Supplier / Product Group Management Construction at E/D/E.
How can the construction industry reduce its own CO2 footprint and become more sustainable? What more climate-friendly products are available? How could climate-neutral construction succeed? These and other key questions were discussed at the 10th E/D/E FORUM building components as part of specialist presentations and discussions.
Prof. Dr. Volker Quaschning, engineering scientist, energy expert and author, Dr.-Ing. Daniel Wehner, Head of the Data Science Enhanced Product Stewardship specialist area at the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics, and Frank Böttcher, meteorologist, weather presenter and author, spoke about sustainable energy concepts, climate change and the transformation towards climate neutrality.
“It is not only the exchange with colleagues within the sector, but also the scientific input from the speakers and thus the new, innovative impulses that make this event so valuable,” says participant Peter Hammerschmidt, Sales Manager Northwest at Teckentrup GmbH & Co. KG, summing up the event.
As part of the forum, the E/D/E specialist group PRO.ELEMENT, in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute, also presented the PRO.ELEMENT Award for the first time. This award recognizes manufacturing ideas and projects that contribute to optimizing productivity and improving processes.
Hörmann KG Verkaufsgesellschaft from Steinhagen was the first company to receive an award at the tenth FORUM building components. “Hörmann KG Verkaufsgesellschaft has done outstanding work with the development of CO²-neutral products. This is a milestone in the development of building products. Furthermore, Hörmann is not only making a decisive contribution to sustainability with its innovative slat recycling, it is also establishing completely new and efficient processes to conserve resources and establish a sustainable circular economy,” says Thomas Kirmayr, explaining the jury’s choice.
The next FORUM Building Components will take place in 2026.
![240425_EDE_FORUM_BAUELEMENTE_00362](https://www.ede.de/wp-content/uploads/240425_EDE_FORUM_BAUELEMENTE_00362.webp)
![240425_EDE_FORUM_BAUELEMENTE_00249](https://www.ede.de/wp-content/uploads/240425_EDE_FORUM_BAUELEMENTE_00249.webp)
Download press release as PDF:
240502_Press_release_EDE_FORUMbuilding components