The true cost of hesitation

Sticking to traditional, ‘old-school’ methods is becoming a risky gamble. When information is trapped in silos or kept on paper, it creates an ‘innovation gap’ that eats away at profitability. For an industry already operating under tight margins, this lack of standardization is a structural constraint. Companies that wait to explore these digital tools risk losing their competitive edge and becoming entangled in increasingly complex regulations governing sustainability and safety.

From theory to practice: Insights from the field

While the research began as a high-level strategic study, the real breakthrough came from making it practical for the people actually on the ground. During our workshops with HVAC installers and carpenters, we found that many professionals don’t see themselves as ‘tech people’ – they just want to solve daily headaches.

In our sessions with carpenters, we observed a strong desire to use these tools to reclaim time spent on paperwork and to reduce material waste. Meanwhile, HVAC specialists are considering AI as a digital navigator to help them navigate the maze of green energy subsidies and to begin repairing systems before a client even knows there is a fault. It isn’t about the technology itself; it’s about making the workday lighter.

The AI Toolkit bridges the gap between daily construction challenges and technological impact. By intelligently matching real-world needs with the right AI tools, we transform abstract ideas into concrete, stakeholder-focused scenarios for immediate implementation – whether for contractors, developers, designers, or project managers.

– Gerd Van Cauteren, Project Coordinator at Verhaert Strategic Innovation

A roadmap built for people, not machines

Because the jump to digital can feel overwhelming, we developed the AI toolkit designed to be as simple as matching three puzzle pieces. Instead of staring at a blank screen, you start with the human side of the business:

• The challenge: You begin with a real-world pain point, like the hours lost to manual invoicing.
• The impact: You define exactly what you want to achieve, such as a 5% boost in your profit margin.
• The solution: You identify the specific digital co-pilot – like back-office automation – that gets you there.

This process turns a daunting digital transition into a structured, manageable roadmap tailored to your specific goals.

AI Toolkit NL 
AI Toolkit FR

AI as your digital co-pilot

The real strength of these tools lies in their support for human expertise rather than their replacement. Buildwise positions AI as a strategic partner in three main ways:

1. 1. Transforming the office: Streamlining repetitive tasks like email management and tender analysis so you can focus on the core of your craft.
   2. Operational excellence: Using real-time data to monitor progress and catch errors early, which saves both time and money.
   3. Building for the future: Helping to choose the right materials and energy setups before the first stone is even laid.

Strategic steps for long-term success

The transition to a more data-driven industry isn’t about a single ‘magic’ tool; it’s about a strategic shift in how we approach problems. By breaking down your biggest daily challenges and building a structured roadmap, you turn a complex technological trend into a clear path forward.

The future of construction belongs to those who view these tools as a means to work more intelligently and more sustainably. If you are ready to stop guessing and start building your own digital strategy, our toolkit is the perfect place to begin.

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Space and defense are no longer reserved for governments. Across Europe, dual-use technologies are blurring civilian and defense applications, opening new ground for innovation that boosts resilience, autonomy and agility. This track shows how Europe can shift from large, closed systems to small, distributed, intelligent ones that guide complex operations, enable unmanned missions and deliver real-time insights. We’ll highlight how advanced optics, robotics, AI and system engineering transform defense operations — and how open innovation platforms, from incubators to sandboxes, let start-ups and established players co-create disruptive capabilities and accelerate Europe’s next generation of space and defense capacity. Check out the presentations from the Innovation Day of 2024 on:

• Dual-use tech & components: From lab to market with an entrepreneurial mindset
  By Florent Passalacqua, Innovation Consultant at Verhaert Strategic Innovation and Manu Pepermans, Project Manager at Verhaert Product Innovation
• Building distributed intelligent systems with edge AI
  By Klaas Hofman, Software Tech Lead EmbeddedLab at Verhaert Product Innovation and Niels Verleysen, AI Engineer at Verhaert Digital Innovation
• The agility accelerator: Reinventing innovation for space and defense
  By Dany Robberecht, Business Unit Director at Verhaert Strategic Innovation

View the presentation

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Edge AI makes products think smarter

Edge AI brings artificial intelligence directly to the device, or “the edge”, rather than relying solely on internet communication and cloud computing. Sensors, IoT devices and embedded systems can process data locally, make real-time decisions and adapt their behavior instantly. By offloading computation from the cloud, Edge AI enables faster responses, lower latency, reduced data transfer and improved privacy; all while optimizing power consumption and performance for embedded devices.

Why Edge AI makes your product breakthrough

Edge AI isn’t just about smarter technology; it’s about overcoming the everyday limitations that stop products from reaching their full potential.

• Limited or unstable data connections?
  Traditional cloud-based AI struggles when connectivity is poor. Edge AI makes real-time decisions locally, ensuring your product functions intelligently anywhere, anytime, without relying on constant internet access.
• Simple sensors, big insights
  Even basic sensors can deliver high-end performance with Edge AI. Through sensor fusion, devices combine data from multiple sources to act as virtual, intelligent sensors. For example, a washing machine can estimate drum fill by analyzing vibration and motor sound, avoiding the need for supplementary (more expensive) weight sensors.
• Need a longer product lifetime?
  Edge AI continuously monitors product health, predicting maintenance needs before failures occur. Changes in sound or vibration patterns can indicate wear in critical components, extending the product’s lifetime and reducing costly downtime.
• User interaction matters
  Edge AI enables local processing of audio and video, allowing products to interact intuitively with users while preserving privacy. From personalized feedback to detecting behaviors in sensitive environments (like for example, smoking detection in toilets), devices become smarter and more user-friendly.
• Harsh environments or complex interfaces?
  Edge AI supports intuitive interaction even in challenging conditions. Industrial terminals, for instance, can recognize hand movements contactlessly, ideal when workers wear thick gloves, making conventional touchscreens ineffective.

Turning Edge AI into customer value

By addressing these product-level challenges, Edge AI drives multiple benefits that customers care about:

• Improved user experience with immediate, intuitive responses.
• Personalized interfaces and automated behavior insights.
• Stronger privacy as raw data remains on the device.
• Predictive maintenance that reduces downtime and operational costs.
• Sustainability through lower energy consumption and optimized local processing.
• Enhanced business insights for smarter product evolution.

From concept to market: Making innovation happen

At Verhaert, we integrate AI and embedded systems seamlessly, from concept to market-ready solutions. Our multidisciplinary teams ensure high performance, low power consumption, secure data handling and intuitive interfaces. With Edge AI, we don’t just build devices, we create breakthrough technology that transforms user experience, strengthens customer relationships and positions your product as a market leader.

Unlock the full potential of your products. Harness Edge AI to innovate smarter, faster and more sustainably, while delighting users and reducing costs.

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