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Wednesday 18 February 2026
The University of Twente and TNO participate in the European OIVA project, which focuses on the digitalisation of building permit processes. Within the Dutch consortium led by TNO, the Joint Innovation Centre Digital Lifecycle Management (JIC-DLM) contributes to the development of a practical and scalable approach for automated compliance checking, while public authorities retain their role in decision making.
Translating regulations into digital logic
A central element of the project is the translation of complex and sometimes ambiguous regulations into consistent, machine checkable rules using Hybrid AI methods. These rules are connected to information from design data, such as BIM models and geospatial context, enabling compliance engines to retrieve the relevant parameters necessary for verification automatically.
The project develops a suite of specialised compliance engines capable of performing automated compliance checks across diverse regulatory categories, including geometric constraints, environmental impacts such as nitrogen and biodiversity, and sustainability metrics. An integration architecture ensures that the solution works with and scales within the Dutch permit ecosystem.
In addition, secure data sharing protocols are developed to ensure that sensitive project data is exchanged between developers and regulatory bodies with a high level of trust and security.
Predictability in the permit process
The project addresses the disconnect between the digital and industrial transition of construction and existing regulatory processes, which remains a primary barrier to accelerating housing delivery. A central element of this challenge is the lack of predictability in administrative procedures.
By establishing a standardised, machine checkable logic, the project aims to reduce inconsistent manual interpretations of complex regulations and create a consistent basis for permitting. The approach enables quick scans and early stage feasibility checks, moving validation to the beginning of the process. This helps to prevent late stage redesigns and mitigates the risk of projects stalling during final approval.
The modular compliance engines allow standardised housing concepts to be validated across multiple jurisdictions, reducing the required project specific re engineering for each new location. By digitising the interface between the builder and the regulator, the project supports a more streamlined permit process.
More information
For more information about JIC-DLM or the European OIVA project, please contact Hans Voordijk (UT) of Luuk van der Heijden (TNO)
