Innovation Competition for Artificial Intelligence

With the AI Innovation Competition, the BMWI (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy) promotes outstanding approaches for new forms of AI-based platform economies in the important sectors of the German economy. In the 2^nd funding call, the project “MIMKIT – As-built modeling of buildings and structures using AI to generate digital twins” was able to make an impression in the area of the construction industry.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) stands for the use of 3D models in the life cycle of a building. Most BIM applications require a digital as-built model as a basis, e.g. for optimizing maintenance, renewing infrastructure or deconstructing buildings. In addition, digitally analyzable information on a structure enables efficient and sustainable operation. Despite all the advantages of digital design, construction and operation, 3D models are not available, especially for existing buildings. This not only delays the introduction of BIM, but also means that the entire construction and housing industry lacks reliable data for optimizing the life cycle of a building.

This is where BIMKIT comes in. In order to make AI and cloud technologies usable for the construction industry as key technologies of the German government’s digitalization strategy. Information on buildings and infrastructure structures, e.g. 2D plans, images, point clouds or text documents, are to be evaluated by means of AI processes, structural and technical construction elements, generated, consistent, and fed into a BIM-based inventory model. Similarly, the updating of an existing as-built model is to be automated. The data and AI services will be provided decentrally using open standards and existing BIM systems based on GAIA-X. Data sovereignty and data security are particularly taken into account, since safety-relevant information on structures is also evaluated.

At the digital BIMKIT kick-off event on January 12, 2021, Hottgenroth Software GmbH & Co. KG welcomed almost 60 connected participants and representatives of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), as the network coordinator. In addition to the total of 11 funded partners (A14BD Deutschland GmbH, ALLPLAN GmbH, A+S Consult GmbH, eTASK Immobilien Software GmbH, Fraunhofer Gesellschaft für Angewandte Forschung e.V. – Heinrich-Hertz-Institut, Hexagon Geoystems Services AG, Neue Technologien AG, planen bauen 4.0 GmbH, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Schüßler-Plan Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH), 22 associated partners could also be counted as supporters.

The German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology is funding the project with approximately 10.8 million euros from January 2021 to December 2023. Detailed information on the project, project participants and associated partners can be found at https://bimkit.eu/.