Sustainability is a high priority issue for organizations worldwide. According to Autodesk’s 2024 The State of Design and Make study, 97% of companies have taken actions to improve sustainability – that’s a five point increase over 2023. In addition, between 2023 and 2024, there was a 25% increase in the number of leaders and experts who see sustainability as good for short-term business success.
In 2024, using AI to be more sustainable took the number one position in the top five actions that organizations are taking to improve sustainability, up from number five in 2023.
Source: Autodesk 2024 State of Design & Make
Leveraging AI to support sustainability makes sense, since much of a project’s or product’s sustainability footprint is determined early on, when organizations can use AI tools to optimize decision making. In the AECO sector, architects use AI to analyze urban design factors such as noise pollution or traffic. In the manufacturing sector, AI can reduce energy consumption during production, as well as materials waste.
A high-tech manufacturer , for instance, has partnered with an HVAC company that builds fans. By working inside Autodesk Revit models using audits, platform services, and formulas to get better visualizations on equipment, the two organizations have been able to identify the best way to make product changes from a sustainability standpoint.
A Canadian shipping container company is also using technology to promote more sustainable solutions. Its modification division repurposes shipping containers as building blocks for the design, construction, and finishing of custom structures. The modification division decided to update its 3D design software to Autodesk AutoCAD, Revit, and Inventor to gain better functionality, as well as improved compatibility with the software used by companies that build the custom structures. Projects are now completed about 10 times faster in Inventor.
Technology adoption and sustainable design go hand in hand. To learn more about how Autodesk solutions can help your organization improve its sustainability, contact us at IMAGINiT.
