IIIT Hyderabad and Hexagon R&D India partner to advance Digital Twin Research

Hyderabad, 23 September 2026: International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIIT Hyderabad) and Hexagon R&D India are collaborating to establish the Hexagon Digital Twin Centre of Excellence (CoE) at IIIT Hyderabad.
 
The CoE will focus on advancing applied research, education and industry collaboration in computer vision, spatial computing and digital twins, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI).
 
The collaboration will provide students, faculty and researchers at IIIT Hyderabad access to Hexagon’s advanced precision imaging laser scanner (Leica BLK360 G2 along with relevant software package) that enables high-fidelity digital twin creation.
 
The CoE will serve as a platform for research and innovation, supporting the development of prototypes, proofs of concept and solutions addressing real-world industry challenges. It will also create opportunities for students and researchers to work with industry-grade technologies and datasets while exploring new applications for spatial computing and computer vision.
 
Through this engagement IIIT Hyderabad is building on Hexagon’s global academic engagements in deep tech and foundational sciences, while raising the AI quotient for India.
 
Commenting on the collaboration, Prof. Sandeep K. Shukla, Director, IIIT Hyderabad, said, “This collaboration with Hexagon will give our researchers and students access to advanced technologies and real-world spatial data, creating opportunities to take research from the lab to practical applications. We look forward to building a strong research and innovation ecosystem through this Centre of Excellence.”
 
Navaneet Mishra, Senior Vice President and Head of Hexagon’s R&D India, said, “The ability to capture, understand and digitally represent the physical world is opening up new possibilities across industries. Through this Lab, students and researchers will have access to Hexagon’s technologies and real-world challenges. It is a proud moment for us to collaborate with India’s leading Computer Science and AI Research institute, IIIT Hyderabad.”
 
Nora Hollenstein, VP, AI Hub at Hexagon AB further added that “Hexagon has research collaborations across the globe, and I am excited to bring it to India now. We aim to create an environment where ideas can be tested, and further deep research can help with creating real-world solutions”