Interview with Hans Bischof, Head of Development, on bocad 2026:

‘At the beginning, it's not entirely clear at what point in the development process you'll have that “aha” moment.’  

From its scientific beginnings at the Ruhr University in Bochum in the 1980s to its current development under SCHULLER&Company, bocad has stood for efficiency and innovation in structural engineering for over 40 years. What once began as a research project to optimise steel construction has developed into a modern BIM platform that combines planning, production and documentation in real time. A unique selling point is the complete consistency between drawing and model, as both are identical and therefore always up to date. The bocad DNA stands for technological excellence, customer focus and international cooperation. 

Question 1: bocad 2026 brings more innovations than any previous version and marks the beginning of a new era. How did a team, some of whom have been working together for over 30 years, manage to achieve such a leap in innovation in just three years?  

"The move to SCHULLER&Company was indeed an exciting phase. Many of us have been part of the team for decades, and we have a wealth of experience to draw on. At the same time, SCHULLER&Company has brought fresh energy to the development process: new perspectives, new priorities and, above all, the courage to think differently. We were able to pick up speed by expanding the team with young developers, on an international level and with experts from other software areas such as apps and games. This has taken usability, interaction, user experience and collaboration to a new level. It changes the way we think about software; it has to be intuitive and appealing. At the same time, we have intensified our exchange with our users in order to provide solutions for their daily work." 

Question 2: When did it become clear that version 2026 would be a milestone?  

The changes came about step by step. First, we launched the Smart Series in 2023 for modern usability. SmartInfo is the fastest database query and directly visualises information about the model, while SmartNavi optimises navigation through the model structure.  

The next building block is now SmartDraw. This is a major milestone because you can see at any time from the drawing status which drawing has changed. With complex projects involving 1,000 drawings, it is easy to lose track. SmartDraw provides greater certainty that errors can be corrected at an early stage. Correct production drawings are the basis for an efficient construction site. For example, in the case of a steel girder that is brought to the construction site by truck, lifted by crane, hooked up at the top and connected, the bolts must fit perfectly. Otherwise, it becomes expensive. SmartDraw helps designers keep track of many drawings and ensures that changes are implemented consistently across the board.  

At the beginning, it is not entirely clear at what point in the development process the ‘aha’ moment will occur. 

Question 3: How is bocad's future viability ensured?

"By not only developing new features, but also making the entire workflow more efficient through digitalisation. We now have a strong network between support and development, so we hear about our customers' problems every day. This means that real requirements are immediately incorporated into development. We have received a lot of feedback on data exchange between different software companies. Customers expect this to work. The larger the company, the greater the BIM requirements. The client wants a completely three-dimensional digital world. If one company does the steel construction, the next does the electrical engineering and the third does the ventilation, then the client should not have to discover at the end that the ventilation shaft runs through the steel girder.  

However, there is no single user, but rather a wide range of users with different preferences. Ultimately, we have to adapt to different countries internationally. The full version of bocad includes localisations for each country.  

That is why we are developing bocad on different levels. With OneProject, we are now creating a basis for networked working, with Clone we offer intelligent automation for greater accuracy, and with bocad Hybrid we facilitate sustainable construction methods. SCHULLER&Company is consciously breaking new ground here, both technically and organisationally. We don't just want to supply software, we want to enable genuine process innovation."