Stuttgart/Metzingen, 4 February 2026 – The future of intelligent buildings begins now: NEURA Robotics, a pioneer in the field of cognitive robotics (‘physical AI’), and Drees & Sommer – a leading international consulting firm for construction and infrastructure – have entered into a strategic partnership. Together, the two companies want to not only plan and operate buildings, but also design them as learning, interactive systems and as environments that work together with humans and robots in real time. Initially, the companies will focus on solutions for sanitary facilities, an area in which the need for automation, hygiene and availability is particularly acute.
The cooperation reflects a new understanding of architecture and technology: Buildings are becoming adaptive, processes are becoming increasingly automated, safer and more efficient, and robotics integration has been factored in from the outset. “We are connecting the physical and the digital worlds, thus creating the conditions for robots to interact better with their environment and with humans in the future,” says Dierk Mutschler of the Drees & Sommer Executive Board. “This opens up new possibilities for use in nursing and care facilities, production, office buildings and airports.”
Smart buildings need smart actors
“Very soon, robots will not only be tools, but will be fully accepted as intelligent companions in our buildings,” explains David Reger, CEO of NEURA Robotics. “They will be networked, self-learning and autonomous, and will clean, service and maintain in precisely those areas in which there is currently a shortage of skilled workers. This will create environments that considerably reduce people’s workloads. Robots save time, enhance safety and allow us to concentrate on what really matters.”
Sanitary facilities have been deliberately chosen as the starting point for the joint venture as it is in this area that high usage, hygiene requirements and the shortage of qualified staff make the need most acute. Cognitive robots can detect contamination, respond to situational requirements, refill consumables and report technical anomalies before failures occur, resulting in more reliable processes, greater cleanliness and enhanced safety in everyday life.
The building as a digital nervous system
At the heart of the collaboration is the concept of the Sensorized Environment: Light, motion, temperature, sounds and other signals are recorded and analyzed in real time and utilized to improve interaction between people, space and robotics. This creates a ‘digital nervous system’ for the building that allows robots not only to do work in the building, but also to work with it.
“Our robots see, hear and feel, and make decisions independently. They think for themselves instead of simply performing work,” says Reger.
Drees & Sommer is contributing its expertise in the fields of planning, sensor technology, digital twins and IT/OT networks. NEURA Robotics will provide cognitive robotics, AI fundamentals and interface expertise. The result is buildings that not only function efficiently, but also learn, interact and adapt. This represents a new dimension of modern infrastructure. “We are no longer talking just about building services equipment, but about cognitive infrastructure,” says Veit Thurm, the Drees & Sommer Partner responsible for the cooperation. “Buildings sense their environment, interpret situations and interact with robots, securely, scalably, and with increasing autonomy.”
About NEURA Robotics
NEURA Robotics was founded in 2019 by David Reger to close innovation gaps and usher in the age of cognitive robotics. The multi-award winning innovators from Metzingen have adopted a consistent ‘one-device’ approach across their entire product range, from industrial to household robots. The basic idea is a ‘smartphone with arms and legs’ that combines central components and sensors for physical artificial intelligence in a single device. The company’s Neuraverse platform paves the way for an ‘iPhone moment’ in the field of robotics and closes the gap between people and technology. Key innovations and technological components, including AI functionalities, are developed in-house at NEURA Robotics. As a result, NEURA is setting new standards in physical AI, precision and safety: NEURA cognitive robots have vision, hearing and tactile senses. They act autonomously and learn from experience.
About Drees & Sommer
Acting as a single source to deliver and implement sustainable, innovative and economically viable solutions for the Real Estate, Industrial and Infrastructure sectors is what sets the Partner-managed consultancy Drees & Sommer SE apart. Founded in 1970 and since then recognized as a sustainability pioneer and driver of digitalization, the international company today employs some 6,500 people at more than 70 regional offices. Interdisciplinary teams collaborate on some 7,000 projects worldwide, working to create a livable future and to unite apparent opposites: Tradition and future, economy and ecology, analog and digital, efficiency and well-being. As ‘intrapreneurs’, Drees & Sommer Partners are personally responsible for managing the company.