INNOCHAIN PROJECT
The InnoChain ETN network is
a shared research training environment examining how advances in digital design tools challenge building culture enabling
sustainable, informed and materially smart design solutions. The network aims to train a new generation of interdisciplinary
researchers with a strong industry focus that can effect real changes in the way we think, design and build our physical environment.
The programme investigates the extended digital chain as a particular opportunity for interdisciplinary design collaboration.
Challenging the traditional thinking of design as a linear process of incremental refinement, InnoChain identifies three axes
of design innovation potential communication, simulation and materialisation appearing as distributed and interdisciplinary
activities across the design chain. Situating feedback between design processes as a key concern for developing holistic and
integrated design methods, the network will develop new interdisciplinary design methods that integrate advanced simulation
and interface with material fabrication. With a strong inter-sector focus, InnoChain connects “research in practice” with
“research in academia”. Assembling 6 internationally recognised academic research environments leading research into computational
design in architecture and engineering and 14 innovation pioneering industry partners from architecture, engineering, design
software development and fabrication, the programme will establish a shared training platform for 15 early stage researchers.
The network creates a structured training programme focussed on supervision of individual research projects, an inter-sector
secondment programme as well as collective research events including workshop-seminars, colloquia, summer school and research
courses that provide a unique opportunity for young researchers to obtain new knowledge and skills positioning them between
strong innovative research practice and influential industrial impact.
THE ACADEMIC PARTNERS
CITA, Centre for IT and Architecture, The Royal Danish Academy
of Fine Arts, School of Architecture. Professor Mette Ramsgaard Thomsen and Associate Professor Martin Tamke
Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London. Professor Bob Sheil
Institute of Building Structures
and Structural Design (ITKE), University of Stuttgart. Professor Jan Knippers
IOA, Institute of Architecture,
University of Applied Arts, Vienna. Professor Klaus Bollinger
Royal Institute of Technology. Professor Ulrika
Karlson and Professor Oliver Tessmann
IAAC, Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, Universitat Politècnica
de Catalunya (UPC). Professor Manuel Gausa, Professor Eduard Bru, Associate Professor Areti Markopoulou
THE INDUSTRY
PARTNERS
Foster + Partners Limited, White Arkitekter AB, BIG, HENN GmbH, ROK GmbH, Cloud 9 SL, Buro Happold Limited,
str.ucture GmbH, designtoproduction GmbH, Smith Innovation, Blumer-Lehmann AG, S-Form, Factum Arte Desarrollos Digitales SL,
McNeel Europe SL
Webpage: http://innochain.net
Funded
by the European Union – Horizon 2020
