Hoban Construction Accelerates Securing New Technology Through Plan H

- Hoban Construction Establishes Accelerator Corporation 'PlenH Ventures' to Drive Multifaceted Innovation

Plan H Ventures CI of Hoban Construction. Provided by Plan H Ventures

The construction industry is actively adopting advanced systems in response to the Fourth Industrial Revolution era. Recently, construction companies have been actively investing in smart-related technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, and artificial intelligence (AI). This is because the adoption of advanced technologies that aid convenient living, in addition to the basic elements of design, floor plans, and landscaping, has emerged as a key competitive factor in the real estate market.

Recently, Hoban Construction's initiatives have stood out. Led by President Kim Daeheon, in charge of planning, Hoban Construction established an accelerator corporation called ‘Plan H Ventures’ (hereafter Plan H) in 2019 and has been swiftly responding to the smart construction system by investing in startups possessing new technologies.

Within just over two years since its establishment, Plan H has discovered startups in various fields such as construction, eco-friendly solutions, and security solutions. Through this, Hoban Construction is integrating new residential trends into its ‘Hoban Summit’ and ‘Verdium’ apartments.

Last month, Hoban Construction signed a business agreement with WalkerMan Co., Ltd., a startup specializing in maintenance services, and is promoting service advancement. Hoban Construction and the accelerator corporation Plan H are working to support WalkerMan’s technology development and service expansion. WalkerMan has secured its first investment from the construction industry and is collaborating for the first time. WalkerMan plans to use the Hoban Group headquarters and Avenue France as testbeds to gradually develop its services.

Additionally, as interest in air quality grows due to fine dust and yellow dust, Hoban Construction is accelerating the development of next-generation ventilation systems. In August last year, Plan H signed a joint development agreement for next-generation ventilation systems with Aiol Korea, a company specializing in indoor air management solutions. Aiol Korea’s ventilation system is known to improve dehumidification performance by 50% compared to existing systems while reducing power consumption by more than 40%. Aiol Korea and Hoban Construction have applied this technology to 15 community facilities at construction sites, and have also completed development of dehumidifying ventilation fans for dressing rooms using dehumidifying materials and ventilation equipment for individual units.

The introduction of security solutions utilizing new technologies is also notable. Since December last year, Hoban Construction has been actively using facial recognition security solutions developed by the startup ‘CVT,’ in which it directly invested. The facial recognition access security technology developed by CVT allows entry through a facial recognition reader without a separate security card, enhancing both security and convenience. Hoban Construction and the Hoban Group are already using this technology for construction site access management and security management of dormitory buildings at Resom Resort.

A Hoban Construction official stated, “Through Plan H, Hoban Construction is collaborating with capable startups to develop products that reflect the latest residential trends,” adding, “We will continue to secure new technologies through discovering various startups and active convergence.”

In addition, Hoban Construction is accelerating digital transformation (DX) by collaborating with companies specializing in AI-based automatic architectural design and real estate big data market analysis solutions, aiming for business innovation in various areas.