The HOCHTIEF company Nexplore has entered into a unique research partnership with Darmstadt Technical University. The cooperation, initially planned for a period of four years, will focus on how Artificial Intelligence can be used in the construction industry.
“With TU Darmstadt, we have found a renowned partner who stands for scientific excellence and research at top level in the field of Artificial Intelligence,“ said David Koch, Managing Director of Nexplore. “We expect this cooperation will deliver practice-oriented, implementable answers to current questions regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence, as well as solutions for the issues of the day after tomorrow. The cooperation with the scientists in Darmstadt will strengthen our role as one of the industry’s technology leaders.”
For the cooperation with Nexplore to start on April 1, 2020, TU Darmstadt will set up the research laboratory AICO (Artificial Intelligence in Construction). “Our goal is to mesh research in information technology and in the construction industry more closely,” explains Kristian Kersting, Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning at TU Darmstadt’s Department of Computer Science. “Through the cooperation with Nexplore, we create a room for our scientists which respects the freedom of research while at the same time enabling the very practical use of the results.” The intensive exchange between research and industry is intended to lead to at least six joint research projects.
Nexplore was founded by HOCHTIEF in 2018 as a Group-wide platform for digital innovation and cooperates with scientists and leading universities worldwide in order to shape the transition into the digital future of construction and service activities. In addition to TU Darmstadt, the partners include, among others, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, the Technical University of Madrid (UPM), and Minnesota State University. In addition, Nexplore cooperates closely with the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI).