EU Project InnoChain (2015-2019)
Description The InnoChain ETN network aims to expand, synthesise and consolidate knowledge into computation-informed building design practice across academia and practice. This initiative has a strong inter-sector focus and connects emerging and established research environments in academia and professional practice from architecture, engineering, design software development and fabrication.
EU Call Horizon 2020
Total Funding 3,972,691 €
IAAC Department Advanced Architecture Group
Partners Academic Partners: CITA/KADK (DK), University College London – Bartlett School of Architecture (UK),  Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan (SE), Universität Stuttgart/ITKE (DE), Universität für Angewandte Kunst Vienna/IOA (AT)

Industrial Partners: Foster + Partners (UK), White Arkitekter (SE), BIG (DK), HENN (DE), ROK (CH), Cloud 9 (ES), Buro Happold (UK), str.ucture (DE), designtoproduction (DE), Smith Innovation (DK), Blumer-Lehmann (CH), S-Form (DE), Factum Arte Desarrollos Digitales (ES) and McNeel Europe (ES).

Website www.innochain.net

The InnoChain ITN 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, through the development of 15 PhDs, with a strong industry focus that can effect real changes in the way we think, design and build our physical environment. The industry focus is furthermore implemented, thanks to the active support of 14 industries, renowned in avant-garde construction technology solutions.

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. The network will develop new interdisciplinary design methods that integrate advanced simulation and interface with material fabrication.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 642877.