Background

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming work processes across almost all sectors of the economy. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the construction industry and related fields—such as carpentry businesses, planning and engineering firms, craft enterprises, and building materials manufacturers—this transformation presents particular challenges. Many struggle to leverage AI effectively because they lack the industry-specific knowledge required to select, evaluate, and implement suitable AI solutions. The shortage of professionals with the necessary AI expertise worsens the situation.

To unlock the full potential of AI for the construction business targeted education and trainings are essential. Yet existing training programs often focus only on the general use of AI and do not sufficiently address the diverse use cases and specific needs of the construction sector. Important topics such as the protection of sensitive company data and the legal framework governing the use of AI (for example, the EU AI Act) are also frequently overlooked.

Tailored Qualification Program

“KI-KompetenzaufBAU” is a practice-oriented training program developed and delivered in cooperation with the ecoplus Construction.Energy.Environment Cluster Lower Austria and SIDE (Studio for Information Design GmbH).  Ten companies from Lower Austria participate in the program.

The program aims to enhance AI competencies in construction-related businesses. It covers topics ranging from the fundamentals of machine learning and legal requirements (AI Act, GDPR) to practical applications such as Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems, agent-based process automation, and industry-specific data analytics.

A Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) system combines a language model (such as ChatGPT) with a knowledge base. This enables employees to search for information using natural language as well as receive answers in natural language. In agent-based process automation, an AI agent independently carries out multiple tasks to achieve a specific goal. It gathers information, makes decisions during the process, and interacts with software systems to retrieve information or trigger actions.

Needs-Driven Approach

A distinguishing feature of KI-KompetenzaufBAU is its needs-driven approach. Before the start of the training program, each participating company undergoes a structured needs assessment to identify individual challenges and AI application opportunities. The insights gained serve as the basis for the six-part workshop program, enabling the training content to be tailored to the specific use cases and requirements of each organization. A learning-by-doing approach is at the heart of the program. Each company is asked to develop its own AI use case based on a real business challenge and create a prototype solution.

Long-Term Impact

The project empowers the Austrian construction industry to capitalize on the opportunities presented by digital and AI-driven transformation. It helps unlock productivity and sustainability gains and strengthens the innovation capacity of SMEs in a sector that plays a vital role in the Austrian economy.