RATL 2027 to drive the civil engineering and recycling sectors

With a full year to go before the start of the RecyclingAKTIV & TiefbauLIVE trade fair, which will take place from 3 to 5 June 2027 at Messe Karlsruhe, preparations are already in full swing within the trade fair team. Renowned brands such as JCB Deutschland GmbH, Kiesel GmbH, Wacker Neusson Vertrieb Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Zeppelin Baumaschinen GmbH and the Swiss company GIPO GISLER POWER AG, as well as Komptech GmbH from Austria, have already secured their place on the outdoor exhibition grounds. The steady response from both sectors underscores the growing confidence within the industries.

First positive signals from the market

In its latest report, the DIW Institute in Berlin forecasts a rise in construction volume for the first time since 2026, with public civil engineering playing a key role in 2027 with an increase of 7.4 per cent. The German government’s National Circular Economy Strategy, as well as the German Environmental Aid Foundation’s 10-point plan for the construction sector, further underscore the necessity of recycling. “In our discussions with exhibitors, we sense that many are consciously seizing the trade fair as an opportunity to engage with the market, even if some remain cautious due to the economic consequences of the construction crisis,” explains Project Manager Laura Weber. “Our aim is therefore to create an optimal market environment in which innovations, professional exchange and live demonstrations can take effect.” RATL attracts 95 per cent trade visitors, around three-quarters of whom have investment authority.

New concept for the infrastructure construction model site

On the 90,000-square-metre Peter-Gross-Bau site, the outdoor area of the Karlsruhe Exhibition Centre, the infrastructure construction model site addresses a topical issue from Germany’s upcoming investment programme. Here, machinery and live demonstrations from the fields of specialised civil engineering, sewer construction and electromobility take centre stage. The model construction site offers exhibitors the ideal platform to present their technologies within the context of an integrated process chain. There are also opportunities for individual demonstrations at the stand.

Promoting the young talents of tomorrow

Messe Karlsruhe is highlighting the particular importance of recruiting skilled workers with a new, prominent location for “BAUSTELLE  ZUKUNFT” in the outdoor area. Regional companies and associations provide information here on their various training and development opportunities, whilst apprentices demonstrate their trades in practice. The indoor area of the upcoming edition is dedicated to digital solutions, such as telematics, measurement technology or the digital organisation of mobile work units – for the first time, bolstered by a newly designed Start-up Area. Young companies will present themselves at a forum that will also serve as the stage for a Mineralik Forum.

Classics for attachments and recycling remain

RATL will continue to live up to its special character as a cross-sector demonstration fair, covering everything from construction and demolition to recycling, in 2027 as well. In addition, applications of technologies for gardening and landscaping will be given their own space.

The Attachments Arena, as a classic feature, will be just as much a part of the next edition of the fair as the recycling of wood and biomass in a dedicated area within the recycling section of the outdoor grounds. “This comprehensive exhibition offering, with its high level of technical depth and moderated demonstrations, can only be realised through strong partners. To this end, the trade fair team receives expert support from our trade fair advisory board,” emphasises Beate Frères, Director of Market Area II. By joining forces with the trade associations, a practical marketplace for modern construction and the circular economy is being created in Karlsruhe. RATL is the showcase trade fair for the relevant sectors in the 2027 trade fair year.