Hexagon supports new centre for digital planning and construction

(Heerbrugg, Switzerland, 27 May 2021) Hexagon’s Geosystems division participates in a new centre at ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) as a strategic partner with a donation via the ETH Foundation over six years. The centre for Computationally Augmented Design in Architecture, Engineering and Construction, known as Design++, is intended to help ETH further strengthen its globally leading position in digital design, planning and construction.

The donation from Hexagon will primarily go towards establishing a new professorship for Augmented Computational Design at the Design++ centre. The new centre aims to develop digital instruments and processes that simultaneously improve design, boost productivity in the construction process, increase the quality of buildings and reduce their environmental impact. To this end, the areas of architecture and civil engineering incorporate current knowledge from artificial intelligence, focusing on machine learning and extended reality. The centre and the new professorship aim to build a bridge between architecture, civil engineering, construction and computer science.

“We are pleased to announce the partnership with ETH Zurich and Design ++. We share the ambition, purpose, and entrepreneur spirit with Design ++. We are looking forward to enabling professionals to simultaneously increase productivity, improve the quality of work processes, and substantially reduce the environmental footprint of the AEC industry,” says Thomas Harring, President Hexagon’s Geosystems Division. “We have ambitious plans in place for AEC, and we are eager to learn more from leading research institutes such as Design++.”

“Technology innovation is a critical success factor for our business and a key element of our DNA. Becoming a strategic partner of Design++ allows us to bring our core competence into the partnership and enables us to drive together this technology innovation for the AEC industry,” emphasises Burkhard Boeckem, CTO at Hexagon. “We are looking forward to collaborating in visual computing, immersive design, extended reality, and accelerating intelligence-based technologies in the AEC space through this strong and meaningful partnership.”

Hexagon is, after Basler & Hofmann, the second strategic partner of Design++. The official opening of the new centre and the Immersive Design Lab (IDL) will take place on 27 May.