Learning about Autodesk and the Future of Making Things

A little over 2-months ago I started my journey with Autodesk, but it wasn’t until I joined the company – and recently spent a fascinating two weeks in San Francisco and Las Vegas - that I began to fully understand the breadth of the company’s activities.

Having spent nearly 30 years in the construction technology sector I was, of course, familiar with AutoCAD. But over the last two months I have come to a much deeper understanding; Autodesk isn’t just a company that designs and creates, it also makes things.

I have been particularly struck by just how much of our lives the company touches. For example, I didn’t know that Autodesk technology supported the making of hit movies such as Avatar, Blade Runner 2049 and The Martian.

There are many other examples around us. For instance, Autodesk technology is optimized for efficiency and sustainability, supporting Building Information Modelling to allow complex structures to be ‘constructed’ virtually before the physical work begins. This was invaluable in the construction of the 632m high Shanghai Tower, the tallest building in China.

Other areas of Autodesk excellence that I’ve found fascinating include creating digital 3D models to create engine molds, along with 3D printing, drone technology, VR (I really like that word ‘immersive’) and robotics. It made me realise that these technologies are very real and can no longer be considered as disruptive; they are integrating themselves into every day processes.

In fact, I was so excited by the examples I saw at Pier 9 (where things get made (main pic)) that I felt in need of refreshment and was gifted a 3D printed bottle opener for later use.

However, 3D Printing isn’t about small gadgets and gizmos; there are valuable and real uses for 3D Printing technology in both construction and manufacturing. Improving peoples lives by making prosthetics and masks that provide protection against air pollution are two examples of this. It’s also been claimed that you can replicate and build a house in under 24-hours, so it’s not surprising that many government initiatives include 3D Printing as part of a strategy to solve housing crises in various countries. 

To that end, Autodesk has made funds available to start-up companies exploring 3D printing in construction, having signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in 2016 with the Dubai Futures Foundation to offer regional start-ups access to a $100m global invest fund for big innovation in 3D printing.

The Power of One

During my trip ‘stateside’ I also attended the Autodesk annual One Team Conference in Las Vegas, along with 2,000 other delegates.

CEO Andrew Anagnost delivered the conference keynote, and one thing that really stood out for me is how Andrew explained not only his vision, but how our customers will be able to do MORE and BETTER work with FEWER resources by leveraging the full range of Autodesk solutions. Along with Steve Blum and other senior executives shared their own vision and one path for the future.

There was also ample opportunity to network with colleagues, partners and customers who travelled to Las Vegas from all corners of the globe. 

Much of what was discussed and presented is confidential for the purposes of this blog, although I’m more than happy to share some takeaways along the theme of…

Reimaging the Future of Construction

The future of construction is a major theme, and it’s clear that the cloud has become the great enabler and that Construction & Manufacturing are converging.

For construction teams, the ability to produce generative designs, render models and enhance collaboration between project teams using BIM can only be made possible by using the cloud.

The construction industry has also begun to transition toward prefabrication and other manufacturing techniques — not only to circumvent labor shortages but to also build faster with more automation, more cost effectively, and with less wastage. The convergence of construction and manufacturing could be the biggest disruption the sector has ever seen. 

Reflecting on the past two months, it’s very evident that Autodesk and what it stands for is far beyond what I believed I knew about the company. 

With a very ‘full on’ and extremely educational two months of onboarding, and perhaps the most inspiring period of time in my professional career under my belt, I am now back at my base in Dubai ready to educate the world (or the Middle East at least) about the company that can #MakeAnything.

Phil Auguste - helping construction digitize in the era of the cloud

Some links to check out... the first one is a really cool video!

Autodesk Offical Show Reel 2018

6 ways in which Construction & Manufacturing are Converging

$100m Autodesk Spark fund to energise Dubai's 3D printing future

How Construction Projects Can Benefit with the Cloud