22-03-2016

iTWO 5D Tec Institute for integrated planning and construction

Leading (top 5) German university of applied sciences Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen and RIB Software AG (listed on the TecDAX index) jointly establish the world's first iTWO 5D Tec Institute for integrated planning and building.

Stuttgart, Germany, 22 March 2016. On 04 March 2016 in Gießen, RIB Software AG together with Prof. Olaf Berger, Vice-President of Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen, Prof. Dr. Joaquin Diaz (Building Informatics and Sustainable Construction), Prof. Dirk Metzger (Construction Management and Project Management) and Prof. Dr. Katia Silbe (Building Operations and Construction Management) established the "iTWO 5D Tec Institut für integrales Planen und Bauen GmbH" (iTWO 5D Tec).

iTWO 5D Tec shall provide the scientific process for the development of iTWO technology by offering services in teaching, research and further education. It will also pursue the aim of conducting or facilitating personnel development by introducing people to iTWO technology and integrated planning and construction in the professional sphere. In cooperation with Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen (THM) iTWO 5D Tec will work to promote integrated planning and construction through application-based research in the field of iTWO 5D technology. As an expression of this special collaboration, iTWO 5D Tec was officially recognised as an affiliated institute by a special resolution of the university senate on 09 March 2016. The affiliated institute shall be known as "iTWO 5D Tec Institut für integrales Planen und Bauen GmbH Institut an der Technischen Hochschule Mittelhessen".

Prof. Olaf Berger commented: "In the future THM and iTWO 5D Tec want to promote integrated building processes and facilitate industrial construction through coordinated activities in research, teaching and practice. As a shareholder in iTWO 5D Tec, RIB provides the necessary software and continuously works to enhance it. As shareholders in iTWO 5D Tec and as representatives of Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen, myself and my colleagues Prof. Diaz, Prof. Metzger and Prof. Silbe will support the process in the fields of research, teaching and further education."

Thomas Wolf, CEO RIB Software AG: "The ever-rapid introduction of iTWO technology "New Thinking, New Working, New Technology" in Germany both in the top 10,000 companies and in research and teaching requires a new form of cooperation between RIB AG and the leading universities of applied sciences. The iTWO 5D Tec Institute will use a combination of research and teaching to optimally prepare experienced engineers and students in the construction industry for the future challenges of Industry 4.0 / Internet of Things. In addition to the new iTWO 5D processes, the new institute will focus on the demands of European urban development in the 21st century. Further iTWO 5D Tec Institutes are planned in America and Asia."

About Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen
Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen (THM) is a university of applied sciences with facilities in Friedberg, Gießen and Wetzlar, as well as satellite campuses in Bad Hersfeld, Bad Wildungen, Bad Vilbel, Biedenkopf and Frankenberg. It was established in 1971 and is therefore one of the younger universities of applied sciences in Hesse. With over 16,000 students (2015) it is the largest of five state-run universities of applied sciences in Hesse. THM is the fourth largest university of applied sciences in Germany after Cologne, Munich and Hamburg. Conventional engineering disciplines such as mechanical engineering and civil engineering form the core of courses offered at THM. The University of Applied Sciences is characterised by a close interlinking of academia and practice. Close collaboration with external partners from the world of business is a key component of THM's philosophy. The results of such collaboration are not only beneficial to the individual partners but also add important industrial experience to students' learning.

About RIB Group
RIB Software AG is an innovator in construction business. The company creates, develops, and offers iTWO³ - new thinking, new working method and new technology - for construction projects across various industries worldwide. iTWO today is the world's first Cloud / License based Big Data 5D BIM enterprise solution for construction companies, industrial companies, developers and investors. Since its inception in 1961, RIB Software AG has been the pioneer in construction innovation, exploring and bringing in new thinking, new working method and new technology to enhance construction productivity, and transforming the construction industry into the most advanced and digitalized industry in the 21st century. RIB is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, and listed in Prime Standard Frankfurt Stock Exchange since 2011. With about 700 talents located in over 30 offices worldwide, RIB is serving 100,000 clients including construction contractors, sub-contractors, developers, owners, investors and governments, in the field of building construction, infrastructure, EPC sector and more.