?Teamwork Tunnelling? at bauma 2004 ? Herrenknecht AG takes positive stock of the exhibition.

A new and highly heeded part of Herrenknecht?s performance were the theme talks. On two days, top experts and insiders of the tunnelling industry were analysing and discussing the current trends on the German and European market. The central questions of this trade forum were ?More output with a lower budget. Will safety be neglected?? and ?Traffic infrastructures of the future. Do we need new models of tenders and partnerships in Europe??. Klaus-Peter Siegloch (heute-journal/ZDF) moderated the Herrenknecht theme talks.

The participants of the talks agreed on one point ? the financial misery of the public budgets will have a drastic effect on the development of the infrastructure ? especially in Germany. Albert Scheller, Director of the Project Center Munich 2/ DB Projektbau GmbH emphasised that the existing means must be invested in projects that are already running. There is little margin for new projects.


Better than moaning: searching for innovative solutions.

Prof. Dr. Lothar Späth, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Herrenknecht AG, challenged the political decision-makers to search for innovative solutions and to stop moaning. Means for financing infrastructures can be opened up through a more courageous privatisation policy. For private investors more incentives for participation at major public projects must be created, for example through public-private-partnership models. Rolf Berger, Technical Director of the Joint Venture ?4th Tunnel under the River Elbe?, explained the successful financing model of this project. Private investors pre-financed the project which was constructed virtually at the budgeted costs. The state is now paying back the investment after completion of the tunnel ? at an extremely low interest rate.

The Swiss Peter Zbinden, Chairman of the Executive Board of the AlpTransit Gotthard AG, referred to the pan-European problem to invest far too less tax money in long-term infrastructure projects. Regarding this issue, he claimed a general rethinking of the responsible politicians in order to maintain the competitiveness of the business location Europe in future in comparison to the global market.

Martin Bosshard, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the engineering office Basler & Hofman warned that a project hold-up may lead to a stagnation of the technical know how. This will have negative effects on the realisation of the infrastructure and tunnelling projects which are becoming more and more complicated. Peter Teuscher (Director of the BLS AlpTransit AG), representative of the owner of the Lötschberg Base Tunnel in Switzerland, criticised exaggerated safety standards. If financing of major tunnelling projects shall remain feasible, politics and the authorities must agree to realistic safety concepts.

Infrastructure projects must not become a political match-ball.

Prof. Dr. Martin Ziegler (Chairman of STUVA, RWTH Aachen) reminded that important infrastructure projects should not be degenerated to a match-ball of political interests. This attitude endangers the planning reliability and increases the project costs.

In the communication lounge and in addition to the theme talks*, Herrenknecht provided insights into the technique and project know how of the company business units Utility Tunnelling (machine diameters up to 4.20m) and Traffic Tunnelling (machine diameters from 4.20m). A non-stop running reference loop informed the visitors on two large size screens about 50 tunnel projects in nearly all regions of the world, which are or have been carried out with high-tech products from Schwanau. Project managers and project engineers were answering questions live, regarding project highlights in China, Switzerland, Spain, Russia and the Middle East.

Better than moaning: searching for innovative solutions.

Prof. Dr. Lothar Späth, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Herrenknecht AG, challenged the political decision-makers to search for innovative solutions and to stop moaning. Means for financing infrastructures can be opened up through a more courageous privatisation policy. For private investors more incentives for participation at major public projects must be created, for example through public-private-partnership models. Rolf Berger, Technical Director of the Joint Venture ?4th Tunnel under the River Elbe?, explained the successful financing model of this project. Private investors pre-financed the project which was constructed virtually at the budgeted costs. The state is now paying back the investment after completion of the tunnel ? at an extremely low interest rate.

The Swiss Peter Zbinden, Chairman of the Executive Board of the AlpTransit Gotthard AG, referred to the pan-European problem to invest far too less tax money in long-term infrastructure projects. Regarding this issue, he claimed a general rethinking of the responsible politicians in order to maintain the competitiveness of the business location Europe in future in comparison to the global market.

Martin Bosshard, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the engineering office Basler & Hofman warned that a project hold-up may lead to a stagnation of the technical know how. This will have negative effects on the realisation of the infrastructure and tunnelling projects which are becoming more and more complicated. Peter Teuscher (Director of the BLS AlpTransit AG), representative of the owner of the Lötschberg Base Tunnel in Switzerland, criticised exaggerated safety standards. If financing of major tunnelling projects shall remain feasible, politics and the authorities must agree to realistic safety concepts. 

Infrastructure projects must not become a political match-ball.

Prof. Dr. Martin Ziegler (Chairman of STUVA, RWTH Aachen) reminded that important infrastructure projects should not be degenerated to a match-ball of political interests. This attitude endangers the planning reliability and increases the project costs.

In the communication lounge and in addition to the theme talks*, Herrenknecht provided insights into the technique and project know how of the company business units Utility Tunnelling (machine diameters up to 4.20m) and Traffic Tunnelling (machine diameters from 4.20m). A non-stop running reference loop informed the visitors on two large size screens about 50 tunnel projects in nearly all regions of the world, which are or have been carried out with high-tech products from Schwanau. Project managers and project engineers were answering questions live, regarding project highlights in China, Switzerland, Spain, Russia and the Middle East.

Full Service Tunnelling: all from one source.

Herrenknecht was the first to present the concept of Full Service Tunnelling. It includes the project specific service package such as project preparing engineering services, global spare parts management, maintenance and repair services as well as engineering and hardware services of Herrenknecht?s affiliated companies.

All in all, Herrenknecht AG could take a very positive stock at the end of the bauma 2004 in Munich. The business unit Utility Tunnelling concluded several contracts. In view of the high attendance of top decision-makers from nearly all regions of the world, the company was successful in using the bauma 2004 as contact and image forum for future projects. The next bauma will take place in three years from 23rd to 29th April 2007 in Munich.


*Recordings of the theme talks are available in German and English (VHS, DVD) and can be ordered for money from the marketing department.