RESEARCH · PARTNERSHIPS
Industry questions.
Academic rigour.
Cyberate connects live construction questions with academic method, research partners and deployment pathways, so research does not stop at publication.
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Construction builds cities.
But invests little in research.
Construction is one of Australia's largest industries, yet historically one of its least research-intensive: Productivity Commission findings have consistently shown it invests far less in R&D than most knowledge-intensive sectors. Its knowledge lives in experience, spreadsheets and individual judgement rather than structured data and repeatable systems.
Construction shouldn't be the least researched major industry. We're building the research capability Australia's residential construction sector deserves.
| Experience-driven industry | Research-led industry |
|---|---|
| Decisions made on experience | Decisions made on evidence |
| Manual, person-dependent process | Repeatable, systemised process |
| The same problems, every project | Continuous, measurable improvement |
Building a research ecosystem.
Not a single partnership but a network: an industry platform, a research strategy partner, specialist AI capability and university collaborations, each with a defined role.
- RESI: The Australian Residential Construction Institute publishes research, engages practitioners and turns findings into professional education and industry discussion. Cyberate publishes selected research and market intelligence through the RESI Knowledge Hub. (Industry research platform): Most recent output: the Australia Housing Market White Paper (2026), whose Chapter 2 is built on our AUBEA 2025 Best Paper study.
- Ignition Research: An Australian Government Registered Research Service Provider that helps shape our long-term research roadmap, identify funding opportunities and connect industry questions with university capability. (Research strategy partner) (Research strategy; Government funding; University collaboration): The Productivity Commission's reform direction 4.5 asks governments to consider the adequacy of R&D funding for housing construction - the funding channels this partnership works are how industry reaches them today.
- Australian Institute for Machine Learning: With AIML researchers we explore how machine learning and computer vision solve practical construction problems: site verification, defect identification and design compliance. (Machine learning & computer vision) (Computer vision; Machine learning; Construction AI)
- University partners: Research partnerships, Linkage Projects and Australian Economic Accelerator initiatives with university researchers across Australia. (Academic collaboration) (Adelaide University; UNSW; Flinders University): Expanding industry-led research capability across Australia's residential construction sector.
From research to running systems.
Research is only valuable when it changes how work gets done. Every engagement is designed to travel this path.
- Research question: An operational challenge, straight from industry.
- University research: Evidence, method and validation.
- Prototype: Algorithms, models and workflows.
- Pilot: Tested against real construction data.
- DDDI live projects: Proven inside a working development group.
- Cyberate system: Productised into software and AI agents.
- Industry adoption: Used by builders, developers and manufacturers.
How the network fits together.
Government programs and universities feed the research. Ignition Research keeps it aimed at fundable, answerable questions. DDDI Group proves the results on live projects, and the industry runs them.
Research ecosystem diagram: government programs (Linkage, AEA, grants) fund universities including Adelaide University, UNSW, Flinders and AIML; Ignition Research connects industry questions with university capability; Cyberate Research turns them into software systems, AI agents and industry reports published via RESI; DDDI Group proves them on live projects and data; Australian industry adopts them.
| Partner | They contribute | Cyberate contributes | Industry output | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University partners | Method, validation, peer review | Industry problems, data, systemisation | Validated research and deployable methods | Proof → |
| DDDI Group | Live projects and operational data | Software and AI deployment | Proof in real construction workflows | View → |
| RESI | Industry platform and Knowledge Hub | Research and market intelligence | Practitioner education and industry discussion | View → |
| Ignition Research | Research strategy and funding pathways | Fundable, answerable industry questions | Government-backed research programs | View → |
What we research.
Four standing research domains. As the practice grows, new questions land here first.
- Housing & planning intelligence: How planning systems, approvals and market forces shape what gets built. (Planning code; Development applications; Housing supply; Feasibility)
- Construction AI: Machine learning and computer vision applied to real construction workflows. (Computer vision; Defect detection; Progress monitoring; Digital twin)
- Operational systems: The systems that run construction businesses, studied from inside one. (Scheduling; Quoting; Group finance; Reporting; AI agents)
- Built environment data: The data layer under every housing decision, assembled and interrogated. (OSINT; GIS; Remote sensing; Residential data; Market intelligence)
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Research recognised by the field.
Our collaborative research has already produced nationally recognised work, including the 2025 AUBEA Best Paper Award. More importantly, it keeps shaping the systems now running inside live development and construction businesses.
- Best Paper Award: AUBEA 2025
- Latest presentation: WSBE26, Melbourne
- Where it ships: Feasibility, Compliance, Document Intelligence
Let's research it together.
Universities, government agencies, construction companies, manufacturers and industry organisations: bring the question. We help define it, assemble the evidence and turn the findings into practical outcomes.