MIBA 2023: what does the future hold for construction?

MIBA 2023

The first edition of the Milan International Building Alliance is ready for the off, with four exhibitions: Gee-Global Elevator Exhibitions, Made Expo, SBE-Smart Building Expo and Sicurezza. At Rho Fiera Milano from 15th to 18th November

The relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces, between public and private buildings is what makes cities into places with recognisable identities and in constant change. The construction sector is the protagonist of this evolution, now at the centre of energy transition and protagonist of the sustainable evolution of densely inhabited urban areas.

These themes are at the heart of MIBA-Milan International Building Alliance, at Rho Fiera Milano from 15th to 18th November, a new format that brings together four exhibitions dedicated to the theme of buildings and the city: GEE-Global Elevator Exhibition, the horizontal and vertical mobility event; MADE Expo, the leading construction industry event; SMART BUILDING EXPO, the integrated technology event and SICUREZZA, the security&fire event – to illustrate innovation in building.

The figures give an insight into the size of the event: 8 pavilions, more than 1250 companies from 41 different countries, mostly from Italy, Germany, Spain, France and China, which will attract tens of thousands of professional operators. Then there are 420 hosted buyers from 74 different countries, from all five continents (34% from Europe; 20% from Africa; 12% from the Middle East; 10% from North America; 8% from Central and South America; 8% from Asia; 6% from CIS member countries and 2% from Oceania), profiled and selected by Fiera Milano in collaboration with the ITA-ICE Italian trade agency. The largest delegations will be from the United States, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Georgia.

“Milan International Building Alliance has reached and exceeded the numerical goal we had set ourselves, but above all it is a successful project from the point of view of the strength it represents,” said Simona Greco, Global Exhibitions Director at Fiera Milano. “In a world in which markets and professionals are increasingly called upon to dialogue and interact with a shared design approach, we too have chosen to take part in this evolution, contributing to the development of positive synergies. Testament to the centrality of the project are the leading Italian and international companies that have chosen to be there, sharing the spirit and purpose of MIBA.”

Within the context of the European Union, 40% of polluting emissions, 50% of raw material extraction, 40-50% of total energy consumption, 30% of water consumption and 30% of waste generation are attributable to buildings. Moreover, 35% of building stock in both Italy and Europe is over 50 years old, and almost 75% is energy insufficient, while only 1% of the built heritage is renovated each year.

The data supplied by Milan Polytechnic University indicate that the drivers of development in the construction world, which currently generates around 9% of European GDP and accounts for 18 million direct jobs, will be the investments allocated to promote green evolution and achieve the Zero Emissions Building goal. SMEs, which contribute over 70% of the added value of the EU construction sector, benefit from the strengthening renovation market.

The projections specify that, starting from a heritage of around 30 billion square metres, estimates are that European building stock will increase by approximately 50% by 2050, compared with around 5 billion square metres that will be demolished to make room for new constructions. The big challenge will be the renovation market, which stands to benefit from the energy retrofit lever.

In this scenario, with more than 250 conferences, seminars and workshops dedicated to the themes of sustainability, innovation and legislation, MIBA-Milan International Building Alliance aims to provide a 360° overview of technologies, processes, solutions, material and products involved in the creation of low-impact, smart, safe and accessible buildings. Click here for further information on how to take part.