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Fifty-five-year-old Paus, who has been a member of the Association Board since 2002, explained his priorities during his inaugural speech, having been appointed as chairman during the VDMA’s General Assembly in Düsseldorf. Paus said he will continue to promote joint research, as he deems it to be of particular importance when it comes to implementing Industrie 4.0 concepts on building sites, thus supporting the innovation potential of the individual member companies and the entire sector. He also noted that digitalisation will have far-reaching effects on the construction and building material machinery industry in the decades to come, stressing how the sector is facing “enormous challenges”. Paus believes that these challenges can only be jointly mastered at a European level and in collaboration with the construction associations.
Further subjects discussed during the VDMA’s General Assembly included energy transition, which is having a particular impact on the framework conditions for the production of cement, glass and ceramics. The Association agreed that it must play a creative role in this regard. Emissions legislation and exhaust gas reduction remain important topics for the construction equipment industry. It is important to build on what has been previously achieved. The aim is not to persevere with public relations and lobbying work. It is also important to Paus “to represent the interests of small, family-owned companies, so that the freedom to innovate will not be lost as a result of ever increasing regulation.”
Paus succeeds Johann Sailer, executive director of GEDA-Dechentreiter GmbH & Co KG in Asbach-Bäumenheim, who did not stand for re-election as VDMA chairman after 6 years’ service. As their term had ended, the entire VDMA board was newly elected at the General Assembly in Düsseldorf. The following were confirmed as deputy chairs to Franz-Josef Paus: Joachim Strobel, sales director of Liebherr in Kirchdorf, for the Construction Equipment Group, and Herrmann Weckenmann, executive director of Weckenmann Anlagentechnik in Dormettingen, for the Building Material Plants Group.
Paus represents 330 companies in the German construction, building material, glass and ceramics machinery industry, most of them medium-sized, who form the VDMA Association for Construction Equipment and Building Material Machinery. The sector had a turnover of €13.9 billion in 2016.
