Built environment

The design, construction and engineering sectors contribute greatly to solving major societal problems. These include realizing affordable housing for starters and the elderly, constructing sustainable buildings, contributing to energy transition, making the Netherlands water-safe to realizing infrastructure for self-driving cars and superfast trains. Far-reaching digitization and application of AI enable social goals to become achievable, as well as growth in employment and social returns.

The built environment is still little equipped with applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI). In the field of social developments in the built and inhabited environment, AI can play an important role. Particularly in those areas where human brainpower is no longer able to design and build solutions. Some projects such as buildings, roads or power plants are so technologically complex that the human brain is inadequate to deal with the multitude of considerations in an integral manner. Another example of using AI is increasing security. For example, in the home so that the elderly can continue to live independently at home for longer.