Jamaica is experiencing increased investment in the real estate sector due to, amongst other things, its geostrategic location and its proximity to the USA. The fire protection challenges faced by those involved in the building sector are explained here using the example of this emerging country.

Our world is getting smarter at an accelerating pace. The Internet of Things (IoT) is already noticeably affecting how we go about our everyday activities. This has far-reaching implications also for commercial buildings. Networking isn’t going to stop at our front doors! More and more communities are already adopting "smart city" approaches. But what does "smart" actually mean? How do ordinary buildings become smart buildings? And how will security and life safety, and especially related solutions, change over time?

The owner invests, the designer designs, the tester tests, the authorities approve and the contractor builds – and the user? As the last participant in the construction value added chain, the user does not always use everything as intended, planned and constructed. This article highlights some of the problems and discusses user concerns that are often not fully taken into account.

Automatic doors generally fulfil various functions in building construction. This article will focus on how they can be controlled and monitored centrally and what possibilities are offered by modern building automation that incorporates all different disciplines.

Polyurethanes (PU) are plastics, usually manufactured from petroleum-derived raw materials, and therefore combustible materials. Nevertheless, their use in fire protection applications is on the rise. Combustible fire protection: Can this work, and how can it be achieved? A short overview of fundamentals, requirements and applications.

The country dossier "Fire Protection in China" provides manufacturers of fire protection products, planners, real estate investors, trade associations and foreign trade chambers with specific basic information on preventive fire protection in China.

The Booklet "Fire Protection in Germany- Planning, Approval, Rules and Regulation" informs about the basics of the German fire protection market. The booklet is available here as a free PDF download.

Here you can find a list of events on preventive fire protection in 2019 and 2020.

The European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) planned by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) is set to become the largest telescope in the world from 2024. The designers faced new challenges due to the lack of fire defences in the Atacama Desert (Chile). This article focuses on evacuation calculations, emergency routes and flow behaviour.