Edmonton strategy aims to create an AI and construction-engineering cluster

Edmonton now has a strategy developed by local experts to become a full-scale industrial hub that unites the city’s ever-increasing AI sector with its experienced construction and engineering industry to lead the world in the intersection of both.

“This is a pivotal opportunity for the city of Edmonton, for the entire Edmonton region, not just to talk about transformation, but to build it and to become a global leader,” said Edmonton Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Doug Griffiths.

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In an announcement on Wednesday at Edmonton’s World Trade Centre, the chamber, alongside industry and academic leaders, revealed a strategic plan to bring together two of Edmonton’s biggest industries — one of which continues to grow, while the other has garnered international acclaim and reputation. The plan is the first of its kind in Canada and was developed by more than 30 industry leaders, businesses, academics, and technical experts.

“If we want to address labour shortages, stagnant productivity, housing delays and global competitiveness, we can’t wait for change. We have to address this together. This strategy lays the foundation, but it’s up to all of us, builders, tech leaders, engineers, tradespeople, researchers, and yes, government as well, to take the next step,” Griffiths said.

Though the announcement happened on its turf, the strategy isn’t a chamber initiative, Griffiths said.

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Bruce Alton, CEO and co-founder of RoBIM, Andrew Ross, CEO of Clark Builders, and Jim Kanerva, chairman of the scientific committee for the Construction Innovation Centre at the University of Alberta and general manager at Carry Steel, all spoke at the announcement.

Griffiths said the chamber had conversations with the province, saying they both recognized the “opportunity” that was on the table.

“The province asked us as the chamber to lead this. They asked us if our construction (and) engineering and artificial intelligence sectors could come together, and if Edmonton could be a leader, if we were positioned to be a leader. And we said, ‘Yes,’” said Griffiths.

The chamber said the “opportunity” includes roughly 20,000 new jobs in tech-augmented trades, a nearly 50 per cent increase in productivity over the next 10 years in the province, and $100 million in new investments per year — all of which helps to address the current 10-15,000 person shortage of skilled trades in Alberta, Ross said.

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“We can’t keep doing the same thing that we’ve done in the past. In order to move forward, we have to do things differently,” Ross said.

Seeing the chance to improve productivity in construction and engineering, Ross said that “Edmonton is extraordinarily well-positioned because of our entrepreneurial spirit,” to seize on the chance for better integration between both sectors.

“When you think of companies like RoBIM, like Clark Builders like PCL, like Stantec, we all started as entrepreneurs,” Ross said, adding “so if you can take that entrepreneurial spirit, harness it with technology that exists, like AltaML and AMII and other things that really are Edmonton-based, we are on the precipice of something fantastic, but we have to seize the opportunity.”

Timelines and investment costs weren’t revealed, but the strategic plan’s document outlines three immediate actions to further the initiative. The actions start with establishing an Artificial Intelligence and Construction Engineering (AI x CE) cluster organization comprised of industry and affiliated professionals to guide the development of the hub, which the chamber has offered to house at its office.

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Next the group will aim to secure operating support from various levels of government, followed by an AI x CE venture lab to foster collaboration and innovation in the field, which would be housed at Edmonton Unlimited.

zdelaney@postmedia.com

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