An ageing society is one of the biggest challenges in advanced economies. With an average age of 46.6 years, Germany is in third place after Japan and Italy. People over the age of 65 account for around 20 per cent of the population in Germany at present, a figure that will reach 25 per cent in another ten years. The demand for living concepts for people aged 60 and over is thus increasing.

Cities are developing into hubs for talent, capital and innovation. The world’s 50 biggest cities already account for 21 per cent of the global gross domestic product, with more and more people moving to big cities. By the year 2050, two-thirds of the world’s population will live in large cities, which will require new concepts for living together.

Temperatures have been rising and natural catastrophes are increasing around the world for years. Greenhouses gases are harmful to the climate and need to be reduced to slow down climate change. Sustainable buildings, eco-friendly infrastructure and food production play a vital role.

Technology is advancing in leaps and bounds. More and more professionals are loath to tie themselves down to an employer, preferring instead to find the next exciting project. Laptops, smartphones and online meetings make them mobile, and still they want to have access to attractive office spaces with modern infrastructure and technology whenever they need them. The digital revolution affects all aspects of life, but is also changing the property sector and the buildings themselves.