Waterloo Engineering Dean Pearl Sullivan was on hand in Montreal today for the announcement of the first four projects backed by a supercluster created to accelerate the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to supply chains.
Supply Chain and Logistics Excellence AI (scale ai), a consortium of almost 120 companies, universities, research institutions and other organizations, is a five-year effort supported by $230 million in federal funding, $30 million from the Quebec government and matching industry money.
The first projects, which mark a milestone as scale ai pursues its mission to develop the next-generation supply chain and promote Canadian leadership in AI within the industry, involve a total investment of $5.1 million.
“Scale ai is committed to seize this ground-breaking opportunity to increase the wealth and quality of life of Canadians through technology-led, sustainable and inclusive economic growth,” said Sullivan, vice-chair of the investment and innovation hub, which is based in Montreal.
The four industry-led projects, which include three to seven partners each, will involve: a decision support system for operation planning, storage allocation and crane scheduling; forecasting the complexity of field repairs and technician management; a community co-loading platform for farmers: and an intelligent platform for agile customization.
The agile customization project includes Nulogy, a Toronto-based leader in supply chain solutions that was founded by five Waterloo Engineering graduates.
“We are thrilled to be working with our industry and government partners to realize the power of AI in optimizing the supply chain,” CEO Jason Tham said in a media release.
Waterloo Engineering is one of two primary post-secondary partners in the consortium, which was announced in early 2018 as one of five winning bids in the federal government’s Innovation Superclusters Initiative to drive economic growth through technological innovation.
Dean Pearl Sullivan, third from left, joins federal cabinet minister Navdeep Bains and other dignitaries at a scale ai announcement in Montreal.
Waterloo tech centre part of plan
Scale ai, which will include the establishment of a technology centre in Waterloo to connect industry partners with its expertise and facilities, will harness the power of AI, combining data analytics and optimization software tools with new robotics, communication and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies.
The ultimate goal is a supply chain with improved efficiency, agility, visibility and sustainability from initial product idea to recycling at the end of a product’s life.
“AI and supply chains are prominent value creators and, when combined and applied, they can profoundly enhance our collective destiny,” said Sullivan, noting the supply chain industry now accounts for about a million jobs and 10 per cent of gross domestic product in Canada.
The announcement was attended by dignitaries including Navdeep Bains, the federal minister of innovation, science and economic development.
“Scale ai is just getting started transforming the AI sector, creating good jobs here at home and establishing Canada as a global leader in AI,” Bains said in a release.