Our series ‘Unlocking the future of research’ third edition features Harsh Manoj Shah, a master’s degree student in management, specialising in technology and innovation at the Technical University of Munich. Since June 2022, he has been a working student at Holo-Light GmbH, one of our partner organisations at HumanTech.
Meet Harsh:
I am Harsh Manoj Shah, currently pursuing a master’s degree in management, specialising in technology and innovation at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Since June 2022, I have been working as a werkstudent (working student) at Holo-Light GmbH within its Research team.
My academic journey began with a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering. Subsequently, I embarked on my professional career by joining WS Atkins (now known as AtkinsRéalis), a renowned engineering, design and project management consultancy firm.
Within the Building Design vertical, I served as a Building Services Engineer. In this capacity, I specialised in designing energy-efficient Mechanical, Electrical and Public Health (MEP) systems while adhering to energy compliance standards such as LEED and BREEAM. My work involved delivering sustainable design solutions for green buildings.
Later, I transitioned into the role of a Digital Developer, where I led the development of innovative software solutions tailored to various aspects of the infrastructure industry. These solutions encompassed 3D Modelling, Building Information Modelling (BIM), Infrastructure Digital Twin (iTwin), and Project Management.
As a developer, I undertook research and development projects, including parametric modelling of infrastructure utilities and the transformation of BIM into a semantic graph representation for sustainability and energy analytics, a crucial aspect of iTwin development. These experiences broadened my understanding of emerging technology adoption in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) ecosystem.
With a technical background and experience as a software developer, I harboured a desire to transition into management. In 2021, I decided to pursue a business degree in Munich, Germany. During my academic journey, I seized the opportunity to work with Holo-Light, an emerging XR tech startup.
Currently, I am working on my master’s thesis, a collaborative effort involving Holo-Light and the Chair of Entrepreneurship Management at TUM. It is centred around Extended Reality (XR) adoption within industrial firms and its profound impact on value creation and customer experience.
“My thesis is centred around Extended Reality (XR) adoption within industrial firms and its profound impact on value creation and customer experience.”
My role at Holo-Light encompasses business development, where my team and I actively seek research project opportunities and explore innovative avenues using frameworks like Horizon Europe. Additionally, I am deeply involved in technical integration and coordination, contributing to the design of tech architecture and interfaces for various research projects.
One of my significant assignments at Holo-Light was to support project management and technology integration for the HumanTech project. Personally, I found the HumanTech project incredibly intriguing, aligning seamlessly with my previous experience in building design.
“One of my significant assignments at Holo-Light was to support project management and technology integration for the HumanTech project.”
Thanks to my background, I swiftly grasped the project’s scope and objectives. Understanding the application of technologies within the construction industry came naturally to me.
The HumanTech project has played a pivotal role in my thesis research, enabling me to understand the rationale behind XR utilisation, the strategies employed to incorporate Augmented Reality (AR) into the project, the challenges faced during AR implementation, and the potential advantages of AR adoption. These insights will significantly contribute to my research and the development of a process model for XR adoption within industrial firms.
The use cases within the HumanTech project are profoundly relevant and address critical industry gaps. For instance, in the realm of visualisation, technicians had traditionally relied on CAD drawings for review. However, HumanTech showcases how AR can revolutionise the visualisation of BIM models, streamlining comprehension and decision-making processes.
“The use cases within the HumanTech project are profoundly relevant and address critical industry gaps”.
The project also explores the utilisation of drones, robots, and body exoskeletons to enhance the efficiency and outcomes of construction industry workers, adding an extra layer of innovation to the mix.
My engagement with a European Union (EU) funded research project like HumanTech has been immensely rewarding. Collaborating with brilliant minds and actively contributing to the success of the HumanTech project has been an enlightening experience.
EU projects such as HumanTech resonate with the spirit of entrepreneurial ventures, where innovative ideas are nurtured, and prototypes are brought to fruition through collaborative efforts across multiple organisations.
Each team member plays a pivotal role in aspects ranging from marketing and exploitation to budgeting, innovation, technology, and development. Being a part of this dynamic process has been incredibly enriching and fulfilling!
Take a look at the second edition of our series with Mahdi Chamseddine, PhD student at RTPU Kaiserslautern.
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