Niklas Nillroth has taken over as president of European construction equipment association CECE, starting from January 1 this year.

He succeeds Enrico Prandini, vice president of Italian construction industry association UNACEA and MD of Komatsu Italia.

“As the CECE president I will devote particular attention to the issue of sustainability in construction," Nillroth said. "With a special focus on the push for emission reduction and the initiatives being put in place by authorities and the rest of the industry. This is the key megatrend for CECE, most of all concerning the positive impact that newly introduced machines can have in fighting pollution and improving air quality.

“What is still missing – and I want to focus on – are the pull factors making these technologies appealing and mainstream for client and users in the larger construction industry."

Nillroth chairs the Swedish Construction Equipment Association SACE and is VP sustainability & public affairs at Volvo Construction Equipment. Within Volvo CE he has gained broad experience from management positions within several different areas, such as purchasing & supply management, product development, change & project management and general management.

CECE says that Nillroth will continue the long-term strategy of his predecessors to embrace the transition into the digital era. It added that standards being the focal point of this transition can facilitate the ongoing digitalisation of industry by promoting compatibility and interoperability between products and processes. Enabling innovation will also be the theme of this year’s CECE Congress, which will be held in Stockholm from October 7 to 9.

Nillroth says that he will also dedicate relevant efforts to the EU regulatory agenda. A trio of key legislation will be proposed by the European Commission during 2020 – the Machinery Directive, the Outdoor Noise Directive and the Road-Circulation framework for off-highway machines.

”Several groups of dedicated CECE experts are actively collecting and sharing their knowledge to contribute to an informed decision-making process at the EU level," said Nillroth. "Following on the steps of Enrico Prandini, CECE will work to further strengthen the public profile of the European construction equipment sector, describing and promoting the importance of the sector for the European economy and society at large."

As president Nillroth represents 1,200 construction equipment manufacturers in Europe. These companies generate €40bn in yearly revenue and employ around 300,000 people overall.

The CECE presidency is a rotating post held for two consecutive years by each of the associations representing their member nations.