BricsCAD Talks AI-Driven Tools with Flanders Make in De Tijd
BricsCAD® has been featured in De Tijd, Belgium’s leading business newspaper, in an article examining how the product’s approach to AI has evolved to better match how designers and engineers actually work. In the piece, Wouter Nys, Head of R&D for BricsCAD, explains why transparency and user control matter more than fully automated “magic.”
1-26-2026
With a user base that includes designers, engineers, land surveyors, and subcontractors, BricsCAD focuses on making everyday workflows more efficient without asking users to give up control of their designs.
“We noticed that our users spent about 80 percent of their time on 20 percent of their project’s value,” Nys told De Tijd. “Repetitive actions, small adjustments, adding parameters. These are things that take up a lot of time but contribute little.”
To tackle this imbalance, BricsCAD initially experimented with AI tools that aimed to fully automate parts of the design process. While powerful on paper, those tools struggled in real-world use. Users still felt the need to review, correct, and validate results, which often eliminated the expected time savings.
“They weren’t used enough,” said Nys. “Our users didn’t trust it. They still had to manually check and adjust the results, which ultimately saved them no time at all. It remained a black box.”
Looking for a better way forward, BricsCAD teamed up with Flanders Make@UHasselt and Professor Raf Ramakers to rethink the role of AI in design software. Instead of handing decisions over to algorithms, the focus shifted to AI that supports informed decision-making and explains its reasoning.
“Classic AI tools provide a ready-made answer,” said Ramakers. “The solution we developed with BricsCAD provides choices, explains the implications, and lets the user decide which direction to take. The user stays in control, and there’s much more transparency.”
This collaboration builds on earlier joint work between BricsCAD and Flanders Make, including tools that help designers create optimal assembly sequences for installations.
As highlighted in De Tijd, BricsCAD’s approach reflects a broader philosophy: AI works best when it reduces repetitive work and sharpens insight, while leaving expertise, judgment, and final decisions exactly where they belong—with the professional.
About Flanders Make
Flanders Make is the strategic research center for the manufacturing industry in Flanders. Its mission is to strengthen the long-term competitiveness of the Flemish manufacturing industry by supporting companies in innovation and the development of new technologies through applied, industry-driven research.
About BricsCAD
The BricsCAD® product line empowers customers to deliver projects quicker with smart, cost-effective solutions. Our commitment to advanced CAD is matched by our dedication to providing exceptional support. Learn more at www.bricsys.com/bricscad.
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