We keep a very close eye on the risks at TIDE and weigh up all decisions in an entrepreneurially responsible manner. With this in mind, we recently decided in particular to focus our development efforts fully on the developments on our northern construction sites and to put the two southern construction sites on the back burner.

Apart from that, TIDE is primarily concerned with the development of apartments, and the need for attractive apartments in good locations remains high in all major German cities, including Hamburg. In recent months, it has of course been noticeable that some prospective buyers have been mourning the zero interest rate phase and have therefore been somewhat cautious. In the meantime, however, the realization is spreading that this historically exceptional situation will not return in the coming years. What remains, however, is the high, rather increasing need. I am therefore convinced that with ECE's own mix of competence, commitment and perseverance, we will also successfully place our TIDE developments on the market.

Fortunately, our team is made up of highly qualified and extremely committed colleagues from our Architecture & Construction division, who are now contributing their experience from various other major projects to the TIDE construction site. In this respect, we are largely on schedule so far and the constructions are now visibly growing in height.

The only notable shock we experienced in 2023 was shortly before Christmas, when flooding occurred and our excavation pit was briefly flooded. However, thanks to the very fast and highly professional cooperation of our construction colleagues and our external construction partners, the breach was quickly closed and the water pumped out. If you like, this was an involuntary test right at the start of the construction phase, but our colleagues passed it with flying colors.

In July 2025, we will be able to celebrate the topping out ceremony for our rental flat project, followed by the topping out ceremony for our two residential towers with condominiums in September. Completions of all northern developments are then scheduled for the first half of 2026.

The Project Director has overall responsibility for the project. As a rule, he takes on this role for several developments and, ideally, he is the constant within ECE from the early development phase through to the completions of the relevant project and its final billing.

One part of their work then consists of strategically and entrepreneurially managing the team work and making the necessary ongoing decisions in day-to-day operations. He is supported in this by an interdisciplinary ECE team made up of experts from all the necessary Sections, i.e. architects, construction managers, lawyers, etc. At the same time, the Project Director is responsible for internal reporting, especially when key decisions such as a realization decision are required from the ECE Board and Advisory Board. Last but not least, the Project Director is usually the first key account manager, i.e. the primary contact for external stakeholders, such as joint venture partners, political decision-makers or mayors and building department heads.

It is an extremely versatile and varied job. At my job interview a long time ago, I was told that you shouldn't be afraid of complexity, and I can fully endorse that. Instead, it certainly helps if you have a tendency to think conceptually and work in a structured way.

With these methodological tools and an academic foundation in business, law or architecture and construction, you should have a desire to learn. After all, nothing remains static in the real estate industry: political framework conditions change frequently, regulatory requirements are modified and usage concepts have to adapt to the changing needs of tenants or buyers, to name just a few topics. So what you have learned doesn't always have a very long half-life. It is therefore essential to stay on the ball intellectually.

And the second constant theme that makes the job particularly appealing to me is the communicative side of the job. As a Project Director, you have to deal with an incredible range of very different people, both internally and externally - diversity in every respect: age, gender, education, political orientation, etc. You have to deal with this diversity of people every day. Dealing with this diversity of people every day and, even more importantly, winning them over to ECE, the Project and, of course, to a certain extent to yourself, should be a pleasure. Then you have fulfilled another important requirement for this job.