Swissbau 2026 rethinks the construction industry
Swissbau Lab 2026 will be a showcase for transformation. From 20 to 23 January 2026, the platform at Messe Basel will focus on key topics such as the circular economy, digitalization and climate change. With live demos, keynotes, workshop formats and an extended dialog between research, business and practice.
With a clear focus on content and new formats, Swissbau Lab 2026 is sending out a strong signal. The transformation of the construction and real estate industry will no longer just be discussed, but brought to life. The four key topics “Smart technologies”, “Digitalization in the planning and construction process”, “Circular economy” and “Climate change” structure the programme. Current challenges meet real solutions, which are jointly designed by partners from business, science and start-ups.
The event starts with a clear appeal to the industry. Tobias Hofmeier and Fabian Cortesi emphasize the role of Swissbau Labs as a networking platform for thinking and implementing the most pressing issues of the present. In 2026, the innovation workshop will not only be larger in terms of space, but also more in-depth in terms of content. The newly created workshop area in particular will create space for direct experience, practical applications and new technologies. This will be hands-on, interactive and directly on site. An additional trade fair day on Saturday will also focus more on interior design and contact with end customers.
Dialogue instead of individual opinions
Partners present current projects and pioneering solutions on the Main Stage. In a pointed, interdisciplinary manner and in exchange with experts. The contributions show how technological and structural innovation can work together if they are conceived in a networked way and implemented across disciplinary boundaries. Christoph Schaer from suissetec emphasizes the importance of synergies through digitalization. Markus Weber from Bauen digital Schweiz calls for a common language in the construction data space. Margarete Olender from the FHNW sees not only ecological, but above all economic potential in the circular economy. Sibylle Wälty from Resilientsy advocates robust local infrastructures as a response to climate change.
The daily live demonstrations in the workshop area make Swissbau Lab 2026 a trade fair of action. Innovations are not only presented, but demonstrated in real time. Technologies, materials and processes can be tried out, evaluated and discussed. Another highlight is the Speakers Corner, where projects, workflows and digital solutions are presented in pitch format and critically evaluated in the subsequent talk.
A place where new standards are created
In 2026, Swissbau Lab will once again be a place where the industry outgrows itself, with new approaches, genuine cooperation and the will to change. The challenge is no longer whether digitalization will come, but how it will become the new normal. Amidst a plethora of digital solutions, the question of how people, technology and value creation can interact optimally remains central.
For the Swiss construction and real estate industry, Swissbau Lab 2026 offers both orientation and exchange. Anyone who wants to actively shape change will find ideas, partners and inspiration here.