​Agentic AI in AEC – From Model Data to Autonomous Operations

​AEC Industry Chapter Kickoff | Agent Economy Association

​The built environment is one of the most data-rich industries in the world – and one of the least agent-ready. BIM models, digital twins, structured lifecycle data: the foundation is there. What's missing is the semantic layer, the right use cases, and the courage to build towards something bigger.

​This kickoff event launches the AEC Industry Chapter of the Agent Economy Association – a community for practitioners, builders and thinkers who believe that Agentic AI in Architecture, Engineering & Construction is not a question of if, but how and in what order.

​The journey we're mapping:

​🤝 The foundation – People & Community

​Before agents, before use cases, before data models: people. The AEC Chapter is built around a core group of practitioners, builders, researchers and investors who want to learn from each other, challenge each other, and build something together. The domain-specific questions and the roadmap below only come to life when the right people are in the room.

​🔢 Phase 1 – Model-based Analytics

​Extract real intelligence from BIM models, digital twins and structured building data today. Clean data, semantic enrichment, quick wins – and the first honest lessons learned shared within the community.

​🏗️ Phase 2 – AEC-specific Use Cases

​Apply what we've learned to concrete workflows: compliance checks, proposal generation, EPD/LCA parsing, FM handover, site monitoring. Real problems, real solutions – co-developed by the community.

​🤖 Phase 3 – Agentic AEC

​When the data is clean and the use cases are proven, agents become the logical next step – multi-agent systems running significant parts of an AEC company's operations, from early design to facility management.

​Who Should Attend

​This event is designed for a deliberately mixed crowd – because the best ideas come from collision, not echo chambers:

​•⁠ ⁠Digitalisation leads, BIM managers and innovation heads from AEC firms and real estate •⁠ ⁠AI engineers, founders and builders who have had little or no prior exposure to construction – but sense the opportunity and want their first real entry point into the domain •⁠ ⁠Investors and VCs looking for promising AEC companies as test cases for their ideas, theses or portfolio strategies •⁠ ⁠Startup founders searching for an underexplored vertical with real complexity, real data, and real willingness to change •⁠ ⁠Researchers from ETH, EPFL and universities working on built environment AI

​If you're from the AI, startup or VC world and have never set foot in a construction site or opened a BIM model – you're exactly who we want in the room. The AEC industry needs fresh eyes. And it has more unsolved problems, more legacy to replace, and more data waiting to be unlocked than almost any other sector.

​What to Expect

​Six short impulse talks (10–20 min each), followed by open discussion and apéro. No panels, no PowerPoint marathons – just honest, concrete perspectives from people building at the frontier.

​🎤 Nilson Kufus – Co-Founder, Agent Economy Association The Agent Economy: from pilots to scale – how agent systems move from isolated use cases to integrated operations

​🎤 Manuel Wider – CEO, CADMEC AG "Data before tools" – building an AI-ready data backbone across the full building lifecycle

​🎤 Matthias Knuser – Founder, Knuser Hyperspace GmbH AI in a solo practice – real setup, real wins, real frustrations

​🎤 Célina L. Nim – Founder, Khare Automations & Automation Lead, ellipsis Ventures AI automation in production: what AEC can steal from an agent-native VC firm

🎤 Dr. Tõnu Mauring – CTO & Co-Founder, Amenti AG
From building physics to SaaS – how digital feasibility studies turn into an agent-ready data layer for Swiss AEC via APIs and MCP.

​🎤 Manuel Frey – Team Lead Building Physics & Sustainability, Penzel Valier AG / AEC Chapter Lead, AEA Hivemind @ Penzel Valier – model-based analytics as a precursor to multi-agent planning

​Event Details

​📍 Location: Penzel Valier AG, Zurich-Binz 🗣️ Language: English 📅 Date: Thursday, 28 May 2026

​Schedule: 18:00 Doors Open 18:15 Welcome & Introduction 18:30 Impulse Talks 19:45 Open Discussion 20:00 Apéro & Networking 21:00 Doors Close

​Participation Fee: This kickoff event is free of charge.

​House Rules: To ensure an open and honest exchange: no media recordings and no social media posts without the express consent of the person who shared their story.

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