Nemetschek Group Creates AI Innovation Hub with Renowned Experts to Drive Artificial Intelligence in the Construction Industry

Munich, 7 May 2024 – The Nemetschek Group, a leading software provider for the AEC/O and media industries, today announced the introduction of an AI Innovation Hub. The hub aims to bundle the existing AI activities in the Group and accelerate the adoption of Artificial Intelligence in the AEC/O (Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operations) and media industries. The hub will be led by two top leaders, who are joining the Group from Google this month: Charles Sheridan, Chief AI and Data Officer, and Julian Geiger, Vice President AI Product and Transformation. Internal processes as well as customers and partners will benefit from increased productivity and efficiency.

Ethics, trust, and sustainability are essential dimensions to develop and deploy AI responsibly. The goal of this hub is to ensure that AI technologies benefit individuals, organizations, and society as a whole while minimizing potential risks and negative impacts. This approach goes way back to the principles established by founder Professor Georg Nemetschek and encompasses all Nemetschek brands. The AI Innovation Hub will tailor AI solutions and products for the customer needs along the entire building lifecycle and for the media & entertainment industry.

The main focus of the newly created AI Innovation Hub is driving AI initiatives across the brand portfolio with partners, alliances, and customers. The Nemetschek Group aims to accelerate product development as well as the testing and exploring of deploying AI tools such as AI Visualizer (a new feature in Archicad, Allplan and Vectorworks), 3D Drawings (part of Bluebeam Cloud) and the dTwin platform to help users increase productivity and sustainability in their processes. The goal is to launch ethical and trustworthy AI as a service (AIaaS) for customers and partners. The establishment of this hub will position the Nemetschek Group as an AI-driven, yet human-centric software leader in the AEC/O and media & entertainment industries.

“Our mission has always been to lead the way in innovation, especially in AEC/O and media & entertainment industries, and this AI Innovation Hub will take us a step further”, says Marc Nézet, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Division Officer Operate & Manage. “I am very happy that we have two renowned experts join the team. Together we strive for an ethical AI, protecting creativity and intellectual property rights, and designing and building sustainably and responsibly.”

“I’m truly excited to embark on this journey together with the Nemetschek team. The company is not only committed to driving innovation and sustainability in the AEC/O industry but also prioritizes ethics and the responsible integration of AI. The establishment of the AI Innovation Hub reflects our dedication to customer needs and requirements”, says Charles Sheridan, new Chief AI and Data Officer at Nemetschek Group.

Charles will lead the global AI Innovation Hub, driving the seamless integration of AI technologies across the company’s diverse portfolio of software as well as deploying the internal adoption of AI. In more than 25 years of his international industry experience, Charles has focused on addressing critical technology challenges in the cyber-physical world. Before joining Nemetschek, he held key roles at large tech companies including Google, Intel and Huawei, where he spearheaded the development of next-generation cloud, AI, data, and IoT solutions. Having significant experience within the EU commissions and university communities, he bridges the gap between industry and academia, while also advocating for collaboration and open collaborative research ecosystems.

Julian Geiger, Vice President AI Product and Transformation at the Nemetschek Group, will lead the development and adoption of AI capabilities across the Nemetschek Group to drive customer value and increase internal productivity. “This is an inspiring time for the Nemetschek Group and its brands. I am very proud to become a part of it,” adds Julian Geiger. “Our commitment to fostering an ethical AI-first company will fuel business growth while supporting sustainable and trustworthy AI solutions for our customers and the AEC/O industry.”

With over 16 years at the forefront of technology strategy and product management, Julian brings experience from previous roles at Google, Boston Consulting Group, and BMW. In his past roles he was responsible for transformative business strategies, delivering software products, and nurturing transformational partnerships. Julian Geiger has a deep knowledge in applied AI, data foundation design and analytics.