Zetane Systems Wins the Pomerleau Competition to Implement Innovative and Cost-Effective AI in Construction
Press release: Selected from a competition between some thirty AI companies, Zetane will now collaborate with Pomerleau to accelerate the development of more precise and automated assessments of complex construction projects.
[Montreal, Canada; February 15, 2022] Zetane Systems announced today a new innovation initiative to promote the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the construction industry.
Following the close of a competition launched by Pomerleau at the end of 2021 aimed at developing its AI innovation sector, Zetane Systems stood out among more than thirty bidders due to its expertise in computer vision. As a Montreal-based technology company specializing in industrial applications of AI, Zetane will collaborate with Pomerleau to further develop predictive algorithms following their joint proof-of-concept project completed in 2021 as part of the competition. Zetane will now scale and deploy the technology that provides new ways 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 the third quarter 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. Among more than thirty companies, we chose Zetane because of their expertise, shared business values, our specific needs and because their vision aligned with ours in terms of producing a solution that will positively impact our industry,” stated Pomerleau’s Vice-President of Innovation and Technologies, Eric Lessard.
“We know first hand 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,” 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.
For all media inquiries, contact:
Dr Jason Behrmann
Director of Marketing & Communications
Zetane Systems
jason@zetane.com
