Pomerleau and Zetane Systems announced a new innovation initiative to promote the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the construction industry. This innovative project received support from INVEST-AI of IVADO Labs that will cover a significant portion of the costs. As a leading construction firm in Canada, Pomerleau will extend its partnership with the Montreal-headquartered technology company specializing in industrial applications of AI to further develop predictive algorithms following their joint proof-of-concept project completed in 2021.

Zetane will now scale and deploy the technology to provide new means to avoid costs, reduce risks and optimize pre-construction planning. New technologies to maintain the sector’s competitiveness are of heightened significance: disruption from the pandemic caused construction costs to soar, which Statistics Canada estimates to have inflated the price for non-residential projects by 8.3% and residential projects by 20.3% in Q3 of 2021. Streamlined reassessments made possible by accurate predictions Major construction projects require diligent oversight and planning to ensure safety and to adjust estimated project costs and engineering specifications.

By training algorithms to identify patterns in information, Pomerleau aims to automate some of these oversight tasks and equip its teams with better decision-making tools. One particular area of focus is the extraction of information from voluminous documents outlining client specifications and subcontractor quotes. Of broad benefit to all stakeholders in the pre-construction phase of a project will be a more rapid reassessment of changing construction plans.

“This project is yet another example where Pomerleau is at the forefront of innovation by leveraging the technological prowess of the Montreal startup ecosystem and the generous support of IVADO Labs’ INVEST-AI program. We chose Zetane based on their unique methods and tools, and our specific needs, for producing AI solutions for industry by their team of skilled industrial AI specialists,” stated Pomerleau’s Vice-President of Innovation and Technologies, Eric Lessard.

“We know firsthand that AI is transforming the construction industry for the better. Zetane is already working on cutting-edge AI projects that range from simulations for training construction crane operators to optimizing the production of lumber-based construction materials, so the potential for the technology to cut costs and increase efficiencies is multifold. We thank Pomerleau for trusting us with this strategic initiative and InvestAI for providing outstanding opportunities for collaboration with Pomerleau to solve complex challenges in business,” said Guillaume Hervé, the CEO and co-founder of Zetane.

About Zetane Systems Zetane (zetane.com) provides the software and services required to de-risk and trust the deployment of AI innovations in industry. Rather than work with abstract computer code, our software provides a detailed visual representation of AI solutions to bridge the gap between AI experts and industry experts in order to support proper testing, validation, debugging, optimization and monitoring of AI.

AI experts gain access to many easy-to-use features that save time and eliminate guesswork, and domain experts without expertise in AI can contribute and conduct needed performance and safety audits. The Zetane Viewer is an official visualization software tool for the ONNX.ai Community of the Linux Foundation, available free to download at zetane.com/gallery. Follow @ZetaneSystems for updates.

About Pomerleau Pomerleau is one of Canada’s leading construction companies and a pioneer in sustainable buildings and innovation in construction. It specializes in the building, infrastructure, civil engineering, and renewable energy sectors. The company also excels in virtual design and construction (VDC). Founded more than 50 years ago, the company employs up to 4,000 people at its nine regional offices and more than 150 worksites across the country. In 2020, Pomerleau was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers. For details about Pomerleau, visit www.pomerleau.ca.

About INVEST-AI of IVADO Labs Funded by the Quebec Ministry of Economy and Innovation, the INVEST-AI co-investment program managed by IVADO Labs offers qualifying companies a reimbursement of up to 50% of eligible expenses paid by the company for the realization of an applied artificial intelligence (AI) project. For more information, visit ivadolabs.com/en/invest-ai. IVADO Labs (ivadolabs.com) acts as an AI investment and consulting firm that accelerates the adoption and rapid integration of AI and contributes to the development of a world-class AI ecosystem in Quebec. Based in Montreal, IVADO Labs has developed programs aimed at supporting the investment projects of companies that implement concrete applications of AI, the emergence of future Quebec flagships companies in the sector, as well as the development of a qualified workforce.