Craftsmanship meets digitalisation in the construction industry
With Walz 4.0, an innovative project for the future of construction is to be realised in the Lake Constance region. The lead partner in Switzerland is the Institute of Constructive Design at the ZHAW. The project, which will run from 2025 to 2028, is being funded with 5 million euros.
The Institute of Constructive Design at the Department of Architecture, Design and Civil Engineering at Zurich University of Applied Sciences(ZHAW), based in Winterthur, is the Swiss lead partner of the European Interreg programme Walz 4.0, which was launched in April 2025. According to a press release, the project around Lake Constance aims to synergistically exploit and further develop the potential of traditional craftsmanship and university teaching in combination with digitalisation.
Partners in the project include the Institute of Constructive Design at the ZHAW, the ArchitekturWerkstatt of the OST – Ostschweizer Fachhochschule and the Denkmalstiftung Thurgau. The University of Liechtenstein is also involved in the project. The OTH Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Regensburg and the FH Vorarlberg are also involved in the project. The HTWG Konstanz University of Applied Sciences is responsible for overall coordination.
The aim of Walz 4.0 is to combine the expertise of universities with the experience of local tradespeople in a practical way. The aim is to find answers to the demands for sustainability in the construction industry as well as to the increasing shortage of skilled labour in the sector. This programme, which is based on the craft migration movement, is also intended to promote international cooperation and the exchange of experience between the craft trades and universities in the four countries of Switzerland, Germany, Liechtenstein and Austria. In addition to practical work on construction and renovation projects, new learning centres will also be created in which sustainable construction methods are developed and digital tools are created.
“In view of the climate crisis, circular construction in the sense of building within existing structures and reusing building components is more important than ever. This is precisely where craftsmanship knowledge and skills, supplemented by the broad application of digital tools, are in demand,” Andri Gerber from the ZHAW is quoted as saying in the press release. “Walz 4.0 brings together craftsmanship, academia and new technologies, thus creating the conditions for a sustainable construction industry.”
The project as part of the Interreg VI Alpenrhein-Bodensee-Hochrhein programme will run from 2025 to 2028 and is being funded to the tune of around 5 million euros. Funding is being provided by the European Regional Development Fund(ERDF), Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein.