Bentley Systems Opens New Philadelphia Tech Hub and Experience Center
Bentley Systems, Incorporated, a leading provider of infrastructure engineering software, has opened a new office in Center City Philadelphia that will serve as both a technology hub for its developer ecosystem and an experience center for infrastructure professionals, students, and industry partners.
The new location is designed to bring together developers, engineers, technology experts, academics, and infrastructure professionals to explore emerging digital solutions for infrastructure delivery and asset performance. The office is located inside the Curtis Center, one of Philadelphia’s historic landmarks and a building with its own long-standing connection to innovation. The property previously served as the headquarters of Curtis Publishing, one of the most influential publishing companies in the United States during the early 20th century.
For Bentley Systems, the opening represents more than an expansion of its physical presence in Philadelphia. It also reflects the company’s long-standing connection to the region and its continued investment in the city’s technology, engineering, academic, and developer communities.
A Longstanding Connection to Greater Philadelphia
Bentley’s relationship with Philadelphia dates back to the company’s earliest years. The business began in the region with a modest office at the University City Science Center before eventually establishing its corporate headquarters in nearby Exton.
Over more than four decades, Bentley has evolved from a local technology startup into a global leader in infrastructure engineering software. Throughout that growth, the company has continued to benefit from Greater Philadelphia’s strong concentration of engineering, technology, and academic talent.
The company’s regional connections extend to leading educational institutions, including the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University. Bentley has also maintained longstanding relationships with Philadelphia-area engineering companies such as Pennoni, strengthening its ties across the local infrastructure and technology ecosystem.
The new Center City location builds on those relationships while creating a central space for collaboration and innovation.
Bringing Infrastructure Technology and Developers Together
A major focus of the new office will be supporting Bentley’s developer ecosystem. The company intends for the location to provide a collaborative environment where developers can work with Bentley technologies, explore open-source tools, and create new applications for infrastructure and geospatial data.
The office will also function as an experience center, giving infrastructure professionals, students, and partners an opportunity to explore technologies designed to improve the way infrastructure is planned, designed, constructed, and operated.
As infrastructure becomes increasingly digital, the ability to connect engineering information with geospatial data and 3D visualization is becoming more important. Bentley aims to use the new hub to bring these capabilities closer to the developers and professionals who are building the next generation of infrastructure technology.
Cesium Acquisition Strengthens Philadelphia’s Role
Bentley’s commitment to Philadelphia’s technology ecosystem received a significant boost in September 2024, when the company acquired Cesium, a Philadelphia-based company known for pioneering the 3D Tiles format.
3D Tiles has been adopted by major technology organizations, including Google, and by the Open Geospatial Consortium as an international open standard for 3D geospatial data.
The acquisition brought Cesium’s foundational geospatial technology together with Bentley’s iTwin Platform, creating new opportunities to connect engineering information with real-world 3D data.
The combined capabilities are helping establish Philadelphia as an important global center for 3D digital twins and open-source geospatial technology. Cesium’s developer community remains firmly connected to the city, making the new Bentley office a natural extension of that ecosystem.
By continuing to invest locally, Bentley is positioning Philadelphia as a technology hub for software and platforms used by professionals responsible for designing, constructing, and operating critical infrastructure around the world.
City Leaders Welcome Bentley’s Investment
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said Bentley’s investment demonstrates confidence in the city’s technology and talent base.
“Bentley’s downtown expansion is a strong vote of confidence in Philadelphia’s talent and technology ecosystem,” said Parker. “This investment will expand economic opportunity, strengthen ties with our universities and developer community, and reinforce Philadelphia’s role as a global center for innovation.”
The new office is expected to strengthen connections between Bentley and local universities while creating additional opportunities for students, developers, and technology professionals to engage with the company.
Jordan A. Harris, Majority Chair of the Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee, also welcomed the opening, emphasizing Philadelphia’s history of bringing together innovation, talent, and opportunity.
“Bentley’s continued investment in our city signals an enduring commitment to Philadelphia and creates an opportunity to create pathways for the next generation of students, developers, and infrastructure professionals,” Harris said.
He added that the new technology hub could serve as a space where people collaborate, develop practical solutions, and contribute to technologies and careers that will shape the future.
Connecting Engineering and Geospatial Data
For Bentley CEO Nicholas Cumins, the new Philadelphia office represents a physical extension of the company’s vision following its acquisition of Cesium.
“Bentley’s acquisition of Cesium was based on a shared vision of an open, interconnected 3D world,” said Cumins. “Today, opening our new Philadelphia office is the physical manifestation of that vision.”
According to Cumins, bringing Bentley and Cesium teams together in the new technology hub will help accelerate the integration of engineering and geospatial data.
The goal is to provide infrastructure professionals with better tools for designing, building, and operating infrastructure that is safer, more efficient, and more resilient.
The combination of engineering software, geospatial technology, and digital twins can give infrastructure owners and operators a more comprehensive view of physical assets and their surrounding environments. These capabilities can support better decision-making throughout the infrastructure life cycle.
A Homecoming for Cesium
For Patrick Cozzi, Chief Platform Officer at Bentley Systems, the opening also represents a return to Cesium’s roots.
“The Philadelphia region is where Cesium started as an ambitious idea to bring 3D graphics to the web,” said Cozzi. “Opening this office in Center City feels like a homecoming, but with global scale.”
Cozzi described the new space as a potential focal point for the open-source community and a collaborative environment for developers working with real-world 3D data.
The office is intended to demonstrate what can happen when infrastructure engineering technologies are combined with modern geospatial visualization and data platforms.
Investing in the Future of Infrastructure
Bentley’s new Philadelphia technology hub comes as infrastructure organizations around the world increasingly adopt digital tools to improve project delivery and asset performance.
Transportation networks, water systems, energy infrastructure, cities, and other critical assets are becoming more connected and data-driven. Digital twins and 3D technologies can help organizations understand infrastructure in greater detail while supporting decisions across the asset life cycle.
Bentley’s continued investment in Philadelphia reflects its belief that the region can play an important role in developing these technologies.
By bringing together its engineering expertise, Cesium’s geospatial capabilities, local developers, academic institutions, and infrastructure professionals, Bentley aims to create an environment where new ideas can move from experimentation to practical applications.
The new Center City office therefore serves not only as a workplace but also as a bridge between Philadelphia’s technology community and Bentley’s global infrastructure software ecosystem.
About Bentley Systems
Bentley Systems is an infrastructure engineering software company whose technologies are used by professionals around the world to design, build, and operate infrastructure across sectors including transportation, water, energy, and cities.
Founded in 1984 by engineers for engineers, Bentley has grown into a global technology provider serving engineering firms and owner-operators across industries and stages of the infrastructure life cycle.
The company’s software spans multiple engineering disciplines and industry sectors, helping organizations manage infrastructure projects and assets more effectively.
Through its digital twin solutions, Bentley enables infrastructure professionals to unlock the value of engineering and asset data, with the goal of transforming project delivery and improving infrastructure performance.
The opening of its new Philadelphia technology hub and experience center marks another step in Bentley’s long-term commitment to innovation in Greater Philadelphia while strengthening the region’s role in the development of open, connected, and increasingly digital infrastructure technologies.
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