CAFM World 2026: Operations begin before handover

When a building is handed over, the construction project is complete. Operations, on the other hand, mark the beginning of the longest phase of its life cycle. And with it, the true value of the previously generated information becomes apparent. However, during the transition from planning and construction to building operation, the digital information chain often breaks. CAFM World 2026 therefore addresses not only new systems, but a fundamental question: How do planning and construction data become reliable information for decades of operation?

During planning and execution, models, plans, technical documentation, and large volumes of component data are generated. However, not all of this is systematically transferred into operation. Information is transferred to other systems, archived as PDF, or only partly transferred. What was up-to-date at the time of handover loses its connection to reality at the latest after the first modifications, system changes, or changes in use.

For operators, this is not an abstract data problem. Missing or outdated information complicates maintenance and servicing, distorts floor-area and consumption data, and increases effort for tenders, modifications, and operator obligations. The assessment of cyber risks and related documentation requirements also becomes more difficult. A digital building model alone does not deliver digital building operations.

CAFM World addresses all these challenges and creates a platform for interdisciplinary and practice-oriented exchange with its exhibition and conference. On November 24 and 25, 2026, it will bring together operators, owners, facility managers, planners, associations, and technology providers at the ICM Munich. The event is integrated as a separate area within BIM World MUNICH. gefma and CAFM RING support it as patrons. EuroFM contributes the European perspective of facility management, the VDMA as a cooperation partner provides the view on building automation and electrical engineering. The Association for Security Technology (VfS) is also represented, expanding the focus on security and critical infrastructures.

From a programme topic to a dedicated platform

The connection between BIM and Facility Management has been part of the BIM World MUNICH program for several years. Since 2024, CAFM World has brought these topics together in a dedicated exhibition and conference area. For 2026, the area has been expanded again. As of now, 31 companies and organizations have been announced. Software providers, facility service companies, consultancies, and associations are represented. In addition, exhibitors related to building operation will be present in the expo area of BIM World. Overall, the organizer expects more than 250 exhibitors and over 8,500 trade visitors for the entire BIM World MUNICH.

The growing role of CAFM World within the wider event reflects changes in the market. CAFM is no longer just about managing space, assets and maintenance schedules. Modern operating platforms are intended to consolidate data from CAFM, building automation, BIM, IoT applications, and energy management. At the same time, requirements for documentation, cybersecurity, energy efficiency, decarbonization, and operational safety are increasing.

More than a technical handover

The transition from a BIM model to a CAFM system is often viewed as an interface task: exporting, assigning, and importing data. Technically, this is demanding. However, the crucial questions precede this: What information do operating teams actually need, and who ensures its quality and keeps it up to date? Building operations depend on the right information, at an agreed level of quality, rather than the largest possible volume of data. The building owner must therefore incorporate the requirements of later operation early into the planning - preferably together with the future operator or facility management experts. Otherwise, what is available in the project will be handed over, and not necessarily what will be needed later. However, with every additional data source, the risk of new silos also grows. It is therefore not decisive how many systems a building has, but whether information can be clearly assigned, exchanged, and permanently maintained between them.

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Between PDF, data platform and digital twin

The conference program addresses these questions.

• Spencer ten Brink from Autodesk captures one of the central problems with the title "FM dies in PDF". The focus is on the discrepancy between digital planning and operating teams that still have to work with drawings, tables, and scattered files. Reliable as-built data, his message states, is not just a technical but also an organizational task.
• Manuel Wider, CEO of BIM and data management specialist CADMEC, starts even earlier. His presentation focuses on an "AI-ready data backbone". Defined use cases, data models, quality checks, and governance are intended to create the basis for BIM, CAFM, digital twins, and AI to interact meaningfully.
• Dr. Christof Duvenbeck from CAFM software provider RIB IMS discusses how data transfer requirements can be standardized using DIN SPEC 91555. In addition to CAFM use cases and operating cost forecasts, the discussion focuses on how as-built models can be generated from plans, point clouds, and image data. AI-supported methods are intended to help capture and structure existing information.
• Kathrin Aehling from energy and automation specialist Schneider Electric pursues a different approach. Under the term "Building Operating System," she describes a platform layer that is intended to integrate data from building automation, energy, CAFM, and digital twins. Behind this is a clear goal: instead of operating each system in isolation, information should be made jointly usable.
• Johannes Eppler from Seatti, a workspace management platform, demonstrates the value of connected operational data, using the example of office occupancy. Bookings alone say little about how spaces are actually used. If booking, access, and occupancy data are considered together, a reliable basis for decisions about workstations, meeting rooms, or the consolidation of spaces emerges.

Sharing expertise across Europe

With EuroFM, CAFM World also gains a European perspective. The network connects facility management research, education and practice across national borders. In a panel presented by EuroFM, Chairwoman Natalie Hofman and Piet Jan Bloem from AIMZ, a company specialising in AI-assisted optimisation of building systems, discuss how AI and building data can be used in facility management. This is not just about new applications. The decisive factor is how AI can be integrated into existing operational structures without creating additional data silos and isolated solutions. This question becomes particularly important for property portfolios spanning several countries. Technical standards, data structures, and regulatory requirements sometimes differ considerably. At the same time, buildings should be able to be managed and assessed consistently across national and system boundaries.

When buildings and machines work together

The panel "Facility Management 4.0" shows how far the networking of buildings and technical systems can extend in the future. Christian Peter from Hotelkompetenzzentrum, Thorsten Munz from door and building automation specialist GEZE, Oliver Helemann from automation technology provider Phoenix Contact, and Martin Haubensack from service robotics specialist PHILON Service Robotics discuss how autonomous robots can interact with doors, elevators, and technical infrastructure. This is not just about the capabilities of the machines. The building itself must also be prepared for this form of interaction. A service robot that is supposed to move independently between floors needs more than a map of the building. Doors, elevators, and access systems must be technically accessible, interfaces must be compatible, and responsibilities must be clearly regulated.

Missing standards and open questions regarding responsibility and liability currently limit practical application, as does the state of development in robotics. The example shows where facility management is heading: operations are becoming more dependent on the connectivity of their systems and the machine readability of their information.

Keeping digital building operations resilient

The more buildings are networked, the more important their resilience becomes, alongside their efficiency. If a central platform fails, data is manipulated, or a technical system is no longer accessible, an IT problem can immediately turn into an operational risk.

This becomes particularly clear in critical infrastructures. Hospitals, data centers, energy facilities, and public institutions must remain functional even under exceptional conditions. For this, it is not enough to technically secure individual systems. Operators must know which systems depend on each other, which processes are particularly critical, and how operations can be maintained in the event of disruptions.

CAFM systems and digital operating platforms can provide an important basis for this. They document systems, responsibilities, maintenance statuses, and technical dependencies. CAFM World therefore explicitly includes resilience, cybersecurity, and the operation of critical infrastructures in its programme. This broadens the discussion: building data should not only make processes more efficient. They must also help to secure operations under altered or difficult conditions.