On June 5, 2025, MassRobotics was excited to co-host Robotics and AI in Construction Environments, a half-day event in partnership with Northeastern University and sponsored by Skanska. The event brought together a mix of builders, robotics startups, investors, and academic leaders to discuss the rapidly evolving role of robotics and AI in one of the world’s largest and most complex industries: construction.
Attendees packed the auditorium for a series of panels and presentations. The event featured two technology and networking breaks where participants could interact with the technology first-hand. The event kicked off with welcome remarks by Fernando F. Suarez and Srinivas Tadigadapa from Northeastern University as well as Tom Ryden from MassRobotics, who emphasized the urgent need for automation in construction. With global construction productivity lagging and over 88% of U.S. firms struggling to find skilled labor, the opportunity for robotics innovation is not just exciting, it’s essential.
The afternoon was officiated by Professor Fernando Suarez, who played a key role in organizing and shaping the event. His opening presentation offered insights and statistics that helped frame the scale of the challenges and opportunities ahead and provided vital context that informed discussions throughout the day.
Panel discussions throughout the day tackled the critical gap between investment and adoption in construction robotics. The first panel, moderated by Danielle O’Connell of Skanska, featured Jim Barrett from Turner Construction, Jonson Berman from Suffolk Technologies, and Jacob Ryals from Nextera Robotics. They explored the realities of deploying robotics on job sites, highlighting that collaboration, not just innovation, is key. “Having great tech isn’t enough,” said O’Connell. “Adoption depends on deep collaboration between startups and construction teams.”
The second panel, moderated by Marita McGinn of MassRobotics, featured Barrett Ames from BotBuilt, Felipe Polido from Reframe Systems, and Lindsey Elliott from Nexterity. These early-stage innovators shared reflections on navigating customer discovery, earning field trust, and moving beyond “pilot purgatory.” Their technologies, spanning robotic framing, modular systems, and intelligent automation, all aim to solve real-world problems while integrating seamlessly with existing workflows. A common thread across the panel was the importance of education and communication when introducing robotics to a traditionally risk-averse industry.
A highlight of the event was the fireside chat: Securing Funding and Managing the Startup-Investor Relationship. Thank you to Mark Martin from Cybernetix Ventures and Derrick Morse from Rugged Robotics for their candid and valuable conversation. As an investor in Rugged, Mark offered insight into what makes a strong founder-investor dynamic. Both emphasized the importance of having a collaborative and open relationship, while also recognizing that even the friendliest relationships remain professional business partnerships at their core. This balance, they noted, is essential to long-term success and alignment between innovation and market opportunity.
The final panel on academic research, Moderated by Stine Grodal from Northeastern, featured Taskin Padir from Northeastern, Daniela Mitterberger from Princeton, and Cagdas Onal from WPI. This session explored how applied research in AI, autonomy, and robotics can help bridge the gap between lab environments and live construction sites. As Taskin Padir noted, “Robotics adoption won’t scale without a clear research agenda that addresses site variability and human-robot collaboration.”
In between panels, attendees were able to see cutting-edge technology in action. Adam Khaw, head of autonomy at Danfoss Autonomy kicked off the demo session. Demoing Startups included: Cleo Robotics, Dusty Robotics, Nextera Robotics, Nexterity, Reframe Systems, Revolute Robotics, Teleworker AI, Tubender, and REEKON Tools.
MassRobotics would like to thank all of the panelists, startups, and attendees who made the day a success. Special appreciation goes to our sponsor, Skanska, whose leadership and support continue to drive meaningful change in the construction industry.
The Robotics and AI in Construction event served not only as a showcase of the innovation happening today, but also as a call to action to connect technologists with builders, align startup speed with jobsite realities, and foster deeper collaboration across the ecosystem.
As robotics and AI continue to unlock new possibilities, MassRobotics remains committed to supporting startups and advancing the conversation — from lab to jobsite.Learn more about MassRobotics signature series events here.