"Many people do not know what engineers do exactly. It is also often forgotten that engineers from many different disciplines are involved in a construction project. Here, a graphic representation would be desirable as a visualization of the diverse services and areas of expertise. This would give the general public as well as young engineers a more accurate picture of the exciting activities involved. " (Picture above: Thomas Prajer)

The answers from Thomas Prajer, Founder of Xania real estate Zurich:

When and in what context did you first hear about Engineers' Day (then Engineers' Day)?

We became aware of Engineers' Day through personal contact with Daniel Löhr. It quickly became clear to me that I wanted to help Xania realize the vision and mission of Engineers' Day. Engineering makes a significant contribution to a positive future for our society. Even in the real estate industry, engineers are indispensable. Be it the civil engineer or all the engineers who are needed for the machines, vehicles, electronics and much more on the construction site.

Your company is participating in Engineers' Day for the first time as a donor. Why are you involved in this event?

Xania is participating for the first time this year. We are still a young company, founded 2.5 years ago. It is important to us to counteract the shortage of skilled workers, which is why we want to commit ourselves to the future of the engineering professions even in the young years of our existence. Our main focus is on promoting the next generation of engineers. The engineers are doing an outstanding job. We would like to help make this visible to the general public.

What goal or goals would you highlight as the most important priority in terms of your involvement in Engineers' Day or in everyday life?

For us, the most important priority is to promote young talent and to make the engineering professions known in the construction industry. Our projects can only be planned and realized to a high quality by well-trained engineers. Since we work together with various partner companies in the execution of our projects, we cannot directly employ people from engineering professions and promote them accordingly. However, it is very important to us to demonstrate the importance of the engineering professions in the construction industry.

Why do you think engineers and their achievements are not perceived enough in everyday life and what can engineers do about it?  

This is mainly because the work is not seen directly. When we look at a construction site, we see bricks, wood, concrete and metals. It is therefore clear to us that people are needed to work with these resources for the respective materials. However, what the engineers do on a construction site is not immediately obvious. It is taken for granted that the building will not collapse in the end. Which is how it should be. However, the people and these professions are pushed into the background. It is difficult for the engineers themselves to change this. To achieve an understanding in society, more is needed. Thus, events like Engineers' Day are important to bring these people and the profession to the forefront. Engineers should be encouraged to talk more about themselves and their work. True to the motto: "Do good and talk about it".

If you had one wish to be able to influence the promotion of young talent even more, to whom would it go and what would that wish be?

I would like all people who are interested in an engineering profession to give it a try and not to have the feeling that it is too difficult and that they can't do it. Along the lines of "try before you buy - although in this case, studying goes hand in hand with trying." Many are interested in how things work. We should encourage this at an early age and integrate it into the school system in an age-appropriate way. In this way, from my point of view, the great respect for this study also disappears.

Do you have another wish in connection with Engineers' Day?

Many people don't know exactly what an engineer does. It is also often forgotten that engineers are involved in many aspects of a construction project. Here, a graphical representation as a visualization of the various services would be desirable. This would give the general public as well as young engineers a more accurate picture.

Which future challenge(s) do you see as most essential, for which we urgently need more engineers?

Engineers bring innovation to the market. We are facing major challenges, especially in the areas of energy supply and technology. The longer this goes on, the more we feel it. Whether this is in the planning of a new property or the use of our own office space. In the area of technology, the demand to develop the digital and mobile world for the benefit of the population is becoming ever greater.

XANIA's contribution to sustainability!

As a real estate developer, we do not build houses on greenfield sites, but rather construct replacement buildings in urban surroundings, entirely in the spirit of dense construction. Up to now, the focus has been on the city of Zurich and the surrounding area - especially the lakeside communities. In the future, the company would like to make a contribution to sustainable interior development in other Swiss cities as well.

Career of Thomas Prajer

Thomas Prajer laid the foundation for his entrepreneurial path many years ago with an apprenticeship in a construction company. Through professional and business training and many years of experience in the real estate industry in leading positions, he gained his further expertise to develop XANIA real estate Zurich into a promising and up-and-coming brand in the real estate industry.

Thank you very much for this interview.

For more information about Xania real estate: www.xania.ch