Autodesk Named to Fast Company's 'World's Most Innovative Companies 2026'
Autodesk has been recognized for the second consecutive year in the architecture category of Fast Company's 'Most Innovative Companies 2026' for its efforts in preserving historical and cultural heritage through digital technology. The company's work on projects like the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral and the digital documentation of Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater was highly praised. This recognition underscores how Autodesk's technology not only shapes the future but also protects the past by enabling more advanced and sustainable preservation methods.
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- 📰 Published: April 14, 2026 at 20:28
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Autodesk, Inc. (Headquarters: California, USA / President and CEO: Andrew Anagnost) has been named to Fast Company's 'Most Innovative Companies 2026' list, marking the second consecutive year it has been recognized in the architecture category.
This year's selection highly praised the company's initiatives in preserving historical and cultural heritage using digital technology. The recognition is a result of architects, engineers, and preservation experts utilizing Autodesk's technology to contribute to the protection and restoration of globally significant cultural heritage sites such as Notre Dame Cathedral and Frank Lloyd Wright's 'Fallingwater.'
Autodesk has historically supported the design and construction of projects that shape society, including architecture and infrastructure. However, innovation is not just about creating the future. A crucial aspect of it is protecting the places that connect humanity's history and memory. Historical buildings now face unprecedented risks from climate change, deterioration, and natural disasters. In this context, an approach that goes beyond traditional restoration methods is required. By combining meticulous data management with the use of digital technology, a more advanced and sustainable form of preservation is becoming possible.
Tomoyuki Nakanishi, President of Autodesk Japan, commented as follows:
'We are extremely honored that Autodesk has been selected for the second consecutive year in the architecture category of Fast Company's 'Most Innovative Companies 2026.' The cultural heritage preservation efforts recognized this time demonstrate that technology has the power not only to create the future but also to protect history, memory, and the value of local communities.
In Japan as well, the conservation of cultural heritage is an important theme, and new possibilities are expanding through the use of digital technology. Autodesk will continue to promote 'innovation with purpose' alongside our partners, simultaneously creating the future and protecting the values that should be passed on to the next generation.'
**Promoting Digital Preservation of World Heritage Sites like Notre Dame Cathedral and Fallingwater**
To address these challenges, Autodesk supports the preservation and restoration of cultural heritage using digital technology around the world.
Following the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in 2019, Autodesk collaborated with France's Art Graphique et Patrimoine (AGP) to create and provide a detailed 3D BIM model of the cathedral. This model supported the public body 'Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris,' which is responsible for the reconstruction, and contributed to advanced wind and light simulations, sophisticated construction planning, and enhanced collaboration among teams. As a result, an environment was created where over 250 companies and more than 2,000 experts could work based on the same data.
In December 2024, just five years after the fire, the cathedral reopened, demonstrating a new restoration model that fuses traditional techniques with digital technology.
*3D BIM model of Notre Dame Cathedral / Courtesy of the public establishment Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris and Art Graphique & Patrimoine*
Furthermore, at Fallingwater, a UNESCO World Heritage site, Autodesk is collaborating with Case Technologies and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy to conduct digital documentation using reality capture and Scan-to-BIM technology. Millions of data points were acquired using drones and laser scanning to build a high-precision digital twin of the building and its surrounding environment. This has not only advanced structural analysis and restoration planning but also established a foundation for long-term preservation.
*Point cloud data of Fallingwater created with Autodesk ReCap Pro. Generated by reality capture, it is used for restoration planning and long-term preservation. / Courtesy of Case Technologies*
Additionally, Autodesk supports cultural heritage protection through digital technology in various parts of the world, including preservation projects at Christ Church Cathedral in New Zealand and the historic city of Volterra in Italy. These initiatives show that digital workflows contribute to the advancement of preservation activities, protect historical knowledge for the future, and allow the value of physical structures to be inherited even when they are endangered.
**Advancing Cultural Heritage Preservation for the Future**
The spread of such initiatives is significantly changing the very nature of cultural heritage preservation.
The preservation of cultural heritage is not merely about restoring buildings; it is an effort to protect identity, memory, and community. With the evolution of technology, historical buildings can be recorded and visualized with unprecedented accuracy, and a higher level of smooth collaboration among stakeholders is now possible.
Technologies such as BIM, reality capture, and cloud-based collaboration are becoming the foundation of modern preservation activities. This is evolving the mindset of preservation from a reactive, 'post-incident' approach to a data-driven, 'preventive' one, leading to the realization of long-term, sustainable maintenance and management of historical buildings.
These efforts are not something Autodesk can achieve alone. They are supported by the knowledge and collaboration of partners including Art Graphique et Patrimoine, Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris, Case Technologies, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, and Warren and Mahoney, as well as architects, engineers, and preservation experts.
This award symbolizes Autodesk's commitment to 'innovation with purpose.' It is the balance of both designing and building the future and protecting the values we should pass on to the next generation that defines the innovation we aim for.
Creating a better future also means protecting the world we have inherited.
This article is a translated and reconfigured version of a news blog post originally published by Autodesk, Inc. in the U.S. on March 26, 2026 (local time).
This year's selection highly praised the company's initiatives in preserving historical and cultural heritage using digital technology. The recognition is a result of architects, engineers, and preservation experts utilizing Autodesk's technology to contribute to the protection and restoration of globally significant cultural heritage sites such as Notre Dame Cathedral and Frank Lloyd Wright's 'Fallingwater.'
Autodesk has historically supported the design and construction of projects that shape society, including architecture and infrastructure. However, innovation is not just about creating the future. A crucial aspect of it is protecting the places that connect humanity's history and memory. Historical buildings now face unprecedented risks from climate change, deterioration, and natural disasters. In this context, an approach that goes beyond traditional restoration methods is required. By combining meticulous data management with the use of digital technology, a more advanced and sustainable form of preservation is becoming possible.
Tomoyuki Nakanishi, President of Autodesk Japan, commented as follows:
'We are extremely honored that Autodesk has been selected for the second consecutive year in the architecture category of Fast Company's 'Most Innovative Companies 2026.' The cultural heritage preservation efforts recognized this time demonstrate that technology has the power not only to create the future but also to protect history, memory, and the value of local communities.
In Japan as well, the conservation of cultural heritage is an important theme, and new possibilities are expanding through the use of digital technology. Autodesk will continue to promote 'innovation with purpose' alongside our partners, simultaneously creating the future and protecting the values that should be passed on to the next generation.'
**Promoting Digital Preservation of World Heritage Sites like Notre Dame Cathedral and Fallingwater**
To address these challenges, Autodesk supports the preservation and restoration of cultural heritage using digital technology around the world.
Following the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in 2019, Autodesk collaborated with France's Art Graphique et Patrimoine (AGP) to create and provide a detailed 3D BIM model of the cathedral. This model supported the public body 'Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris,' which is responsible for the reconstruction, and contributed to advanced wind and light simulations, sophisticated construction planning, and enhanced collaboration among teams. As a result, an environment was created where over 250 companies and more than 2,000 experts could work based on the same data.
In December 2024, just five years after the fire, the cathedral reopened, demonstrating a new restoration model that fuses traditional techniques with digital technology.
*3D BIM model of Notre Dame Cathedral / Courtesy of the public establishment Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris and Art Graphique & Patrimoine*
Furthermore, at Fallingwater, a UNESCO World Heritage site, Autodesk is collaborating with Case Technologies and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy to conduct digital documentation using reality capture and Scan-to-BIM technology. Millions of data points were acquired using drones and laser scanning to build a high-precision digital twin of the building and its surrounding environment. This has not only advanced structural analysis and restoration planning but also established a foundation for long-term preservation.
*Point cloud data of Fallingwater created with Autodesk ReCap Pro. Generated by reality capture, it is used for restoration planning and long-term preservation. / Courtesy of Case Technologies*
Additionally, Autodesk supports cultural heritage protection through digital technology in various parts of the world, including preservation projects at Christ Church Cathedral in New Zealand and the historic city of Volterra in Italy. These initiatives show that digital workflows contribute to the advancement of preservation activities, protect historical knowledge for the future, and allow the value of physical structures to be inherited even when they are endangered.
**Advancing Cultural Heritage Preservation for the Future**
The spread of such initiatives is significantly changing the very nature of cultural heritage preservation.
The preservation of cultural heritage is not merely about restoring buildings; it is an effort to protect identity, memory, and community. With the evolution of technology, historical buildings can be recorded and visualized with unprecedented accuracy, and a higher level of smooth collaboration among stakeholders is now possible.
Technologies such as BIM, reality capture, and cloud-based collaboration are becoming the foundation of modern preservation activities. This is evolving the mindset of preservation from a reactive, 'post-incident' approach to a data-driven, 'preventive' one, leading to the realization of long-term, sustainable maintenance and management of historical buildings.
These efforts are not something Autodesk can achieve alone. They are supported by the knowledge and collaboration of partners including Art Graphique et Patrimoine, Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris, Case Technologies, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, and Warren and Mahoney, as well as architects, engineers, and preservation experts.
This award symbolizes Autodesk's commitment to 'innovation with purpose.' It is the balance of both designing and building the future and protecting the values we should pass on to the next generation that defines the innovation we aim for.
Creating a better future also means protecting the world we have inherited.
This article is a translated and reconfigured version of a news blog post originally published by Autodesk, Inc. in the U.S. on March 26, 2026 (local time).