Hodgson Sayers advances digital construction

County Durham-based construction firm Hodgson Sayers has appointed Sohrab Jafarpour through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Teesside University to support its digital transformation.

Sohrab will help develop and embed an AI-driven digital twin platform into the company’s design and manufacturing processes, enabling more efficient and data-led operations.

The system will include a web-based interface, allowing non-technical staff to interact with the technology.

Sohrab, who has a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Northumbria University, said: “While Hodgson Sayers has made great progress in Building Information Modelling, its processes remain largely manual, hindering its ability to automate and scale design, structural validation and manufacturing.

“To address this, I bring knowledge in AI-driven design optimisation, Digital Twin system architecture, parametric CAD-CAE integration, cloud-based collaboration and construction feedback integration.

“These capabilities are not present in-house and require specialist academic input in multi-physics simulation, machine learning and systems engineering. 

“Through this KTP, Hodgson Sayers will embed a real-time, scalable Digital Twin platform tailored to its product lines – security doors, frames, roofing systems. 

“This will enable dynamic, automated updates across the full design, manufacture and construction lifecycle.”

Sohrab’s appointment builds on a long-standing partnership with Teesside University and reflects Hodgson Sayers’ continued investment in innovation as it enhances its construction capabilities.

John Sayers, managing director, added: “Sohrab has excellent credentials specific to our need and will enable us to achieve our vision to transform the company into a dynamic, intelligent contractor capable of delivering smarter, faster and more efficient construction solutions in high-value sectors including utilities, security infrastructure, heritage and renewables.

“This project is highly innovative because it fuses advanced parametric modelling, physics-based simulations and AI into a fully synchronised, cloud-enabled Digital Twin tailored specifically to the needs of an SME contractor. 

“We believe this level of real time integration and automation is unprecedented in the UK construction SME sector.”

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