WSP and Microsoft partner to drive digital transformation in the AEC sector

Microsoft and WSP Global have partnered to accelerate the digitalisation of the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction industry. The seven-year alliance represents a potential combined financial commitment and investment exceeding $1 billion.

WSPis a global professional services firms, uniting its engineering, advisory and science-based expertise under one umbrella organisation. WSP operates in over 50 countries and employs approximately 73,000 professionals, offering solutions across the transportation and infrastructure, property and buildings, earth and environment, utilities and mining sectors. 

The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) space is undergoing a period of accelerated change amid the rise of new AI technologies. Amid this, WSP is coming in for sustained demand in helping realise the adoption of the new tools – and as part of this partnership, WSP is designating Microsoft as a preferred partner for those digital and AI transformation services, including an expansion of Microsoft 365 Copilot globally.

“We are immensely proud of this partnership with Microsoft as it sets an innovation milestone for WSP and our entire industry,” said Alexandre L’Heureux, chief executive officer of WSP. “This collaboration will allow us to push the boundaries of what's possible, ensuring we stay at the forefront of technological advancements and consistently provide exceptional value to our people and clients. By combining our deep engineering and scientific expertise with Microsoft’s best-in-class digital and AI technologies, we can drive value-focused innovation and achieve exceptional results for our clients, our communities, and our business worldwide.”

At the same time, Microsoft will continue to look to WSP as a preferred partner for engineering and science consultancy to meet the demand of customers worldwide. This, while the two firms work to address three key initiatives in the AEC space.

Microsoft and WSP will work to leverage engineering data and knowledge, as WSP has as one of the world’s largest engineering and science-based services firms; they will work to increase the speed and scale at which Microsoft can responsibly deliver mission-critical facilities, such as data centres; and they will combine WSP’s engineering and science knowledge with Microsoft’s technologies to bring new digital solutions to market and help solve their shared clients’ most pressing challenges.

“As our customers accelerate their AI transformation efforts, the demand for advanced AI and digital capabilities continues to grow,” said Judson Althoff, chief commercial officer at Microsoft.

According to the firms, this “could include” AI-powered virtual experts to help modernise the engineering and science-based industry; and the creation of “new design paradigms that drive at scale acceleration of time-to-deliver in the asset lifecycle”. Sceptics might note that AI solutions are still – several years and many billions of dollars into development – almost exclusively working around what they “could include”. This may be why mainstream use of the technology among the public remains a minority pursuit – but Althoff remains upbeat in this case.

Althoff added, “With its leadership in engineering, advisory, and science- based services, WSP is uniquely positioned to help us scale the mission-critical facilities required to support our customers efficiently, effectively, and sustainably. By combining our world-class technologies and innovative solutions with WSP’s expertise, we will also co-develop comprehensive solutions to drive transformative business gains across the AEC industry."