Edmonton could be the most well-placed city in the nation to capitalize on the expansion of AI’s uses in construction.
“If you’re either a business professional or a technologist, or perhaps somewhere in between, you should concentrate on a field that offers expansion and possibilities. This is the one,” he stated.
RoBIM Technologies Inc.
CEO and co-founder Bruce Alton.
Edmonton and Alberta offer the perfect environment for such initiatives. Here, we can take the lead globally in fields like construction, artificial intelligence, and robotics.
Presenting to a crowd of headphone-clad listeners at the Upper Bound AI convention on Wednesday afternoon, Alton made the case that Alberta, and specifically Edmonton, is primed to capitalize on the growing demand for AI and robotics in construction. Pointing to lagging productivity in the industry, he argued that the marriage of the oldest and largest industry in the world (construction) with the newest and biggest growing industry (AI) was paramount to the future
—
particularly as the nation aims to address the shortfall in the housing crisis.
“As it happens, we’re at a turning point. We’re observing several trends within (RoBIM’s) sector as well as in relation to numerous other construction firms,” Alton stated.
RoBIM is a technology firm based in Edmonton that provides ”
“comprehensive robotic manufacturing solutions tailored for both residential and commercial building sectors,” which provided Alton with insights into the real-world demands and possibilities within the field. According to information from McKinsey & Company, he noted that compared to sectors such as agriculture, the construction sector’s efficiency levels have remained relatively unchanged over recent decades.
“Productivity growth has remained stagnant for the past 75 years. This is absurd. Moreover, when you examine the last four decades, particularly from 1980 onwards, it appears to have declined. Consequently, our efficiency in construction has worsened significantly over these many years,” stated Alton.
Alton contended that the absence of automation and robotics significantly contributed to the sluggish productivity within the sector, stating
There are six distinct sectors where artificial intelligence has the potential to enhance the industry.
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design and planning; project costing and scheduling; operating efficiency; monitoring and inspection; training and safety; and robotics and automation.
The latter is what RoBIM focuses on, creating robots that can assist with pre-fabricated construction, which is set to have a full commercial launch next year.
He said that part of the company’s success, which is also what he recommended to prospective entrepreneurs in the room, is that it bears in mind three important elements of business and innovation. According to Alton, you need a big market with a big problem to solve, disruptive technology, and domain and subject matter expertise, all of which lead to startups, investment, and research money.
In the case of RoBIM, the market was Edmonton, Alberta and Canada and the problem was lagging productivity in construction. The disruptive technology was using robotics to automate elements of construction, and the subject matter expertise comes from the many AI experts and construction companies that are based in the city, such as AMII, the University of Alberta for AI and Stantec, Ellis Don, and PCL for construction.
As the newly elected Liberal administration faces a daunting housing crisis, Alton emphasized that this challenge represents a significant issue coupled with a substantial marketplace ripe for innovative solutions. This scenario offers a promising chance for emerging business leaders. Given the identical local talent pool of AI and construction professionals as RoBIM, he noted that the moment is “ideal.”
“I wanted to emphasize this since I truly believe that, as of 2025, this presents a genuinely exceptional chance to be part of this field,” stated Alton.
I’d like to end with a challenge for you: ‘What steps will you take to get engaged? How do you plan to make an impact in this area overall?’
zdelaney@postmedia.com
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