Connected World

• Frontier Firms Rebuild Construction

  For years, construction companies have been told that technology will transform the industry. We have seen it with BIM (building information modeling), drones, reality capture, connected equipment, digital twins, cloud-based project management, and AI (artificial intelligence). Now, we are moving from technology that helps workers do their jobs to technology that can increasingly do parts [...]

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• Success Stories: AI-Powered Road Repairs

  As AI (artificial intelligence) continues to transform how communities manage critical infrastructure, universities are investing in research and innovation that can help public agencies make smarter, faster, and more cost-effective decisions about road maintenance. As one example, PaveX, a Purdue University-related startup founded by Purdue civil engineering researcher Mohammad Jahanshahi, recently received a $305,000 Phase [...]

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• Manufacturing’s AI Problem Isn’t AI

  For years, manufacturers have invested billions of dollars in automation, software, sensors, cloud platforms, and now AI (artificial intelligence). Yet many are still asking the same question: Why is digital transformation taking so long? The answer might just be a lack of interoperability. That message came through loud and clear during CESMII’s recent manufacturing leadership [...]

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• Fact of the Week – 8/17/2026

  Fact of the week: 63% Investment in technological infrastructure and data center construction in Texas is expected to grow by 63%, reaching $26 billion in direct spending this year. Texas is projected to become a large data center market, surpassing Virginia, and driven by the continued demand for AI infrastructure. There are currently more than [...]

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• Construction at a Crossroads

  The construction industry has always been resilient, but resilience alone is no longer enough. Today, contractors, owners, and project teams are navigating a market defined by uncertainty, rising complexity, and rapidly evolving technology. The companies that will thrive are those that embrace change, which is not an easy feat in the construction industry. Across the [...]

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