New Delhi: The core software intelligence driving Swedish industrial technology giant Hexagon is now predominantly engineered from its expansive research and development hub in Hyderabad. This facility stands as the company's largest global R&D center, employing approximately 2,200 professionals—a workforce that notably surpasses its operations in Switzerland, a traditional engineering stronghold for the firm.
Hyderabad: The Nerve Center of Digital Transformation
Generating over $6 billion in revenue during fiscal year 2025, Hexagon has strategically positioned its Hyderabad teams at the forefront of innovation. These engineers are responsible for developing the critical software infrastructure that seamlessly connects Hexagon's advanced hardware sensors to sophisticated cloud platforms. This system processes immense volumes of geospatial and manufacturing data, creating what Chief Technology Officer Burkhard Boeckem describes as "a complete value chain."
Engineers in Hyderabad collaborate across various divisions, including geospatial mapping and manufacturing intelligence, fostering significant cross-pollination of ideas and technologies. Core technological frameworks are adeptly adapted across multiple industries, substantially accelerating the pace of innovation. This convergence of expertise has even propelled Hexagon into the medical aesthetics sector, where scanning systems originally designed for terrain and architectural analysis are now utilized to meticulously examine the human face.
Bridging the Physical and Digital Realms
For more than two decades, Hexagon has dedicated itself to constructing a robust bridge between the physical and digital worlds. Renowned for its precision measurement instruments—ranging from laser scanners to airborne sensors—the company positions itself at the vanguard of what Boeckem terms the "age of intelligence."
"Hexagon has been recognized over the past 20 years for capturing the physical world through our measurement technology and transforming it into a digital twin," Boeckem explained during an interview with TOI on the sidelines of the India AI Summit in New Delhi. A digital twin represents a highly accurate virtual replica of a real-world object, structure, or even an entire urban landscape. "Once the world becomes machine-readable, it establishes the optimal foundation for artificial intelligence," he emphasized.
From Machine Learning to Generative AI Queries
Hexagon's sophisticated tools perform aerial scans of cities, meticulously map roads and buildings, and inspect factory components with microscopic precision. The company began integrating machine learning capabilities into its products as early as 2012. With the advent of generative AI entering mainstream consciousness, customers started posing a pivotal question: if the world is machine-readable, can we actively query it?
This inquiry carries profound practical implications. For instance, a comprehensively mapped city can be analyzed by AI algorithms to classify surface types and calculate available roof space suitable for solar panel installations. Several municipalities worldwide already leverage such insights to inform and guide their sustainability initiatives and urban planning efforts.
The Emergence of Physical AI
Three years ago, Hexagon intensified its commitment to "physical AI" through a strategic partnership with technology leader Nvidia. The ambition extends beyond merely analyzing the world to enabling active intervention within it. "If a robot can sense its surroundings, perceive them, and reason about intended actions, we translate that back into the real world. That constitutes the essence of physical AI," Boeckem stated.
Humanoid Robots and Industrial Automation
In June of the previous year, Hexagon unveiled a humanoid robot specifically engineered for industrial tasks, focusing on inspection, handling, and manipulation functions. During a launch event in Las Vegas, four such robots autonomously scanned a car door with millimetre-level precision. Early adopters of this technology include prominent automotive and aerospace manufacturers. Companies like Tesla utilize Hexagon's inspection technologies within their production plants to enhance quality control.
The company's industrial footprint is remarkably extensive. "Approximately 90% of all smartphones manufactured globally interact with Hexagon technology at some stage," Boeckem revealed. In automotive production, quality assessments that once occurred in isolated inspection rooms now take place in real time. The overarching objective is achieving "lights-out manufacturing"—factories that operate autonomously and make intelligent decisions when anomalies arise.
Precision as a Foundational Principle
For Boeckem, precision remains an absolute imperative. AI models must be firmly grounded in reality to prevent what he describes as "dimensional hallucinations." Accurate spatial data ensures that digital insights can be safely and effectively deployed within the physical world.
"Artificial intelligence attains genuine power when it transcends the screen and integrates into the real world," he asserted. "If a robot can sense, perceive, and reason utilizing precise measurement data, it can act with accuracy. That vital connection between digital intelligence and physical execution is what we define as physical AI."
