Nemetschek AG has further strengthened its position in the international Building Information Modeling (BIM) market, a market that is expected to grow by 17 percent on average in the years to come.
The software provider has been able to make more intensive headway into the promising BIM 5D market with two investments. In this market, the dimensions of cost (4D) and time (5D) have been added to digital 3D planning models to provide complex large-scale projects in particular with considerable advantages in terms of costs and efficiency. These advantages can amount to up to 25 percent of building costs.
Together with Hasso Plattner Ventures and High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), Nemetschek has invested in the start-up company Sablono GmbH. The innovative company with headquarters in Berlin develops and distributes software solutions for the digital planning, control and monitoring of construction projects. With this investment, Nemetschek has extended its expertise in BIM 3D solutions and the cost planning tool (BIM 4D) to include the crucial 5th BIM dimension of model-based scheduling: Sablono's portfolio includes "intelligent" BIM scheduling. Critical information concerning changes is made available to project partners in real time and digitally documented. Planned deadlines can thus be compared against the latest actual data, and the real progress of a building project can be evaluated in detail, traced and controlled.
In addition, Nemetschek has acquired a majority interest in BIM specialist hartmann technologies GmbH, Berlin. hartmann develops and distributes software solutions for building-model-oriented processes in the construction industry. Nemetschek with the building technology solution NEVARIS now covers the process from cost planning and AVA (tenders, awarding of contracts, invoicing) all the way to building construction and controlling. This investment adds the detailed determination of costs and quantities to the solution portfolio. The ice BIM solutions developed by hartmann can, for example, use the 3D model to directly derive critical quantity calculations for structural and finishing work. The integration with NEVARIS ensures an end-to-end process which is transparent throughout all stages of construction.
"The two investments in young and innovative companies fit perfectly to our strategic goal of advancing to become the globally leading provider of BIM 5D in the AEC market," says Patrik Heider, CFOO and Spokesman of the Executive Board of Nemetschek AG. "Nemetschek is the forerunner in shaping this future market and provides everyone involved in the building lifecycle with innovative and holistic software solutions that they can use to execute and optimize all processes with regard to design, costs, time and quality," continues Heider.
Many years of experience coupled with innovative know-how
Nemetschek is opting for young companies for its growth strategy in the BIM 5D sector. This allows the Nemetschek Group to combine its many years of experience in the BIM market with new innovative ideas and approaches. With its strong 3D CAD brands such as Graphisoft, Vectorworks and Allplan, the
Nemetschek Group already holds a leading international market position. As a result of the investments, the dimensions of cost (4D) and time (5D) have now been added to the market-leading 3D software solutions, and market presence in the promising 5D market has been strengthened. "With this move, as a provider of BIM 5D, Nemetschek offers an innovative and extensive solution portfolio for the integrated planning of 3D models, costs and time that is unique in the AEC market," sums up Heider.
Background: Policy encourages the trend towards BIM 5D in Germany now too
Studies show that, in terms of digitalization, the construction industry is still far behind other industries, e.g. the automotive sector. In some countries, digital construction is required by law for large-scale projects. Germany is among the countries catching up. The German federal government wants to specify the BIM digital planning method as the standard for public sector construction. With a synchronized base of data that everyone involved in the construction project can access, BIM enables efficient cost planning and scheduling. As a result, it is possible to precisely ascertain risks early on, shorten construction time and considerably save on construction costs. This political support has arisen in particular due to public awareness of major cost increases and delays affecting large-scale projects such as the airport in Berlin and the "Elbphilharmonie" in Hamburg.
