AI AND DIGITALISATION
AI’s impact spans all building systems. Predictive maintenance extends equipment lifecycles and reduces unexpected downtime – essential where equipment failure can have life-or-death consequences. In HVAC systems, AI enables adaptive control that responds to real-time conditions while maintaining precise environmental standards across different hospital zones. It is clear that healthcare organisations are ready to
embrace these digital technologies, but the transition requires practical, proven solutions that demonstrate clear return on investment. The latest building and energy management systems use AI-based automation to enable energy consumption forecasts using historical data, detecting overspending early and allowing for timely corrective measures. These systems also identify anomalies in consumption patterns that may indicate potential equipment faults.
Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology,
While smart hospital benefits are clear, the financial investment can seem daunting.
provides flexible options that align with your digital maturity journey, helping institutions manage resources more effectively to create a healthier future. When we asked healthcare leaders to identify which
emerging technologies will have the greatest positive impact on decarbonisation over the next three years, their responses didn’t come as a surprise to me. Artificial Intelligence (AI) topped the list, followed by Digital Twins and virtual/augmented reality technologies. The real innovation lies in Generative (Gen) AI and Agentic AI systems that can autonomously manage complex healthcare infrastructure. These advanced AI systems don’t just analyse data – they can independently initiate actions, optimise systems in real-time and even predict and prevent equipment failures before they occur. This alignment around AI reflects a sophisticated
understanding of the technology’s potential that I find genuinely encouraging. From my conversations with healthcare professionals, they clearly recognise the tremendous potential of AI to transform infrastructure sustainability and energy management by optimising consumption and reducing waste.
Smart hospital technologies deliver tangible benefits to facilities management teams.
AI and estate managers For estate managers, AI can accelerate the shift from reactive to predictive management. Instead of discovering equipment issues during routine inspections or emergency failures, AI systems continuously monitor performance and alert you to potential problems before they impact operations. This means fewer weekend callouts, more efficient maintenance scheduling and the ability to plan interventions during optimal times rather than crisis moments.
when integrated with advanced building management platforms, creates digital twins that provide comprehensive operational perspectives. These digital replicas essentially create a ‘health
metaverse’ – a virtual environment where healthcare facility managers can interact with and manipulate building systems in real-time, testing scenarios and optimising operations without impacting the physical environment. These digital replicas allow teams to understand complex interconnections between various hospital systems and optimise operations accordingly.
Digital twins These technologies directly address the daily challenges estate managers face. Energy forecasting provides the data needed to justify budget requests and demonstrate cost savings to leadership. Anomaly detection helps identify problems before they become expensive emergencies or compliance issues. Digital twins provide something particularly valuable –
the ability to model changes before implementing them. Whether planning space reconfigurations, equipment upgrades, or operational adjustments, digital twins let you test scenarios virtually before committing resources or disrupting operations. This represents a fundamental shift from traditional CAPEX-heavy infrastructure investments to OPEX-focused, service-based models that provide greater flexibility and predictable costs. This eliminates the constant firefighting that characterises traditional facility management, allowing you to move from crisis response to strategic planning. An example of digital transformation is our work with
Insel Gruppe, one of Switzerland’s hospital groups. This partnership illustrates how theoretical concepts translate into measurable results. We implemented integrated BIM and building management systems that use the BIM model as a digital twin of their facilities. This gave project stakeholders a fresh operational perspective from the earliest planning phases, allowing them to understand and optimise the complex interrelationships between various parts of the hospital infrastructure. The Insel Gruppe example demonstrates that
healthcare’s digital transformation needs to take into consideration its infrastructure to advance sustainable priorities including energy efficiency. Equally compelling is our partnership with IRCCS Hospital Galeazzi-Sant’Ambrogio in Milan’s Innovation District (MIND), which showcases how smart hospital principles can be embedded from the ground up in new construction. As Italy’s first vertical hospital inspired by the smart hospital approach, Galeazzi-Sant’Ambrogio
74 Health Estate Journal January 2026
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