Press Release 19 February 2024 

Oldenburg Pipeline Forum 2024

Lots of news about AI
Water, Wastewater, Electricity, Gases – into the Future with Artificial Intelligence” was the main topic of the 36th Oldenburg Pipeline Forum. What will it mean for the civil engineering industry in particular if processes, products and workflows are increasingly controlled by artificial intelligence? On 8 and 9 February in the Weser-Ems-Hallen in Oldenburg, the opportunities and limitations of this technology, which at first glance promises to save costs, time and personnel, were the subject of intensive discussion. In addition to the lecture programme, a trade exhibition and well-known events such as the ‘Discussion in the Panorama Café’ and the ‘Ollnburger Gröönkohlabend’ were further highlights of an event that set a new record with around 120 moderators and speakers, 465 exhibitors, more than 5,000 visitors and an exhibition area of around 4,850 m² indoors and 3,640 m² outdoors.

Arrived at the new location
Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Thomas Wegener, board member of the Institute for Pipeline Construction at Oldenburg University of Applied Sciences and Managing Director of iro GmbH Oldenburg, was correspondingly positive in his summary. ‘After the successful start last year, we have finally arrived at the new venue,’ Wegener is convinced. ‘More space, higher rooms and generous open areas in front of the halls with sufficient space for urgently needed car parks and exhibits were welcomed by the exhibitors.’ In addition, it would finally have been possible to fulfil the long-standing wishes of regular customers for more spacious stand areas. At the same time, Wegener – who organised this year’s Forum Wegener – who organised this year’s forum for the last time – is also pleased that much of the unique charm of the Jade University venue on Ofener Straße could be transferred to the Weser-Ems-Hallen. In this context, he expressed his particular thanks to the iro team and the student assistants for their commitment, which had contributed significantly to the success of the forum.what role will AI play in relation to the operation of our water, wastewater, electricity and gas networks? The current state of research and practice was reflected in the 30 lecture blocks. Among other things, industry experts reported on ‘Dealing with sewer TV inspections with AI from the client’s perspective’ and presented the ‘Application of AI in complicated construction projects in planning and construction’. In addition, representatives of large municipalities and associations described their experiences in the application of artificial intelligence, for example in the creation of underground models, in smart well operation management, in strategic network planning or in heavy rain early warning. At the same time, the possibilities and limitations of AI-supported rehabilitation and strategic planning of wastewater networks against the backdrop of infrastructure maintenance and a shortage of skilled labour.

High-level knowledge exchange
The opening evening set the tone for the event. After welcoming speeches by Prof. Wegener and the Vice-President of the Jade University of Applied Sciences Wilhelmshaven/Oldenburg/Elsfleth, Prof. Dr. Holger Saß, and words of welcome by Jürgen Krogmann, Lord Mayor of the City of Oldenburg, Prof. Dr. rer. nat Gerald Linke, Chairman of the Board of the DVGW Deutscher Verein des Gas- und Wasserfaches e. V., Bonn, and Dipl.-Ing. Torsten Maus, Managing Director of EWE Netz GmbH, Oldenburg, got straight to the point with their introductory speeches on “AI in the utilities industry: DVGW projections on knowledge relating to regulations, research results and training’ and ‘AI and the transformation of the utilities industry’. Current topics were also critically discussed during the public discussions in the Panorama Café. For the first time, a double session was offered, in which participants exchanged views on the question of who is still responsible on construction sites today. And the panel discussion initiated by the DVGW took a look at the main lines of change in the natural gas and water infrastructures, which are currently essentially the result of serious adaptation requirements in the wake of climate change.

Classics present as always
Of course, there was also plenty of space for the construction of cable lines and the so-called classics: innovative cable-laying technologies were presented. Manufacturers of pipe systems made from the familiar materials presented their latest developments and had their say, as did suppliers of trenchless installation techniques. The 36th edition of the Oldenburg Pipeline Forum thus lived up to its claim of being a source of inspiration for the topics that will be of great importance to the civil engineering industry in the coming years. Reason enough to look forward to the 37th Oldenburg Pipeline Forum, which will take place on 6 and 7 February 2025 in the Weser-Ems-Hallen.