The historic fair dedicated to sustainable construction and energy opens its doors. Hundreds of organisations come together to build a future that respects people and the environment. Klimahouse 2019 is at Fiera Bolzano until 26 January.
We attended the first day of Klimahouse 2019 at Fiera Bolzano on 23 January to discover what's new at the fourteenth edition of the international fair for energy efficiency and building renovation, running until 26 January. Walking around this prestigious exhibition, there is a genuine sense that the engine of innovation in sustainable construction is not merely a matter of access, but is a fundamental accelerator of change in society at large. We are talking about a green engine, fuelled increasingly by renewable energies and driven by professionals, companies and startups working in a network, thanks in part to events such as Klimahouse.
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For over a decade the fair has brought together industry experts and members of the public to promote sustainable design models capable of addressing the challenge of climate change and aspects that affect our daily lives in an even more tangible way, such as living comfort and energy saving. This year 450 companies are taking part, along with 25 startups — three times as many as last year — for which the fair's central gallery has been transformed into the Startup village, a true citadel of innovation.
A further hundred companies are on the waiting list to participate, stressed Armin Hilpold, president of Fiera Bolzano, during the opening ceremony held at the stand of the Agenzia Casa Clima, the autonomous province of Bolzano's body for energy efficiency and construction quality. Among the organisations attending for the first time, he mentioned the Cna, the Confederazione nazionale dell'artigianato e della piccola e media impresa, from Veneto, and the ministry of economic affairs of the German state of Bavaria. This demonstrates the broad involvement of a growing number of organisations that believe in the need to invest in the development of sustainable construction.
One of the central themes of Klimahouse is that of technological innovation with positive knock-on effects for the sector and for society as a whole. "The exhibitors' capacity to innovate is the catalyst" of this change, stressed Ulrich Santa, director general of the Casa Clima Agency, with young people at the forefront — especially those from the emerging companies gathered in the Startup village, added Claudio Corrarati, vice-president of Fiera Bolzano and president of Cna Trentino. In this regard, he emphasised, technological development alone is not enough: "innovative ideas must be responsible — every product placed on the market must not become waste in 35–40 years' time." This conviction was echoed by Monika Griefahn — a former German MP who was one of the founders of Greenpeace Germany and Minister for the Environment of the state of Lower Saxony — who stressed the need to steer choices towards a concept of circular economy, as well as to combat climate change and make increasingly intelligent use of the services that nature provides.
To put this into practice, alongside the engine of entrepreneurship, public institutions are a fundamental piece of the puzzle. Indeed, the opening ceremony of Klimahouse 2019 was attended by the mayor of Bolzano, Renzo Caramaschi, and the president of the province, Arno Kompatscher. Both spoke about the fair's important role in bringing together and giving impetus to projects in construction and sustainable mobility, with the aim of building increasingly "smart" cities — and beyond.
Changing gear means focusing on new technologies and investing in human capital, engaging people in the process. "Citizens must have the cultural conviction and the financial incentives" to become ambassadors of this transformation, Corrarati stressed. The fair setting offers the public the opportunity to discover many organisations providing concrete solutions for rethinking and renovating their own properties (it is no coincidence that last year Klimahouse attracted 35,000 visitors). A particularly useful service is the personalised assistance available at the Casa Clima stand. And for those who want to draw inspiration by exploring the sector's finest examples first-hand, there is the rich programme of Enertour — guided tours of South Tyrol's most exemplary buildings.
Other highlights include the Casa Clima International Congress, three days of meetings with national and international experts to explore the concept of smart, intelligent urban design, and Klimamobility, the leading conference in South Tyrol dedicated to sustainable mobility, which was hel
