Esri Canada prequalifies as an AI solutions provider to the federal government

Geospatial technology with artificial intelligence delivers smart mapping and enhanced analytics and decision-making capabilities at speed and scale

Esri Canada, a leader in geographic information system (GIS) solutions, today announced it has prequalified as a supplier of Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions to the Government of Canada under Public Services and Procurement Canada’s AI Source List. Esri Canada qualified under the highest category (Band 3) for demonstrating delivery of at least five successful AI projects. This allows federal departments to procure responsible, outcomes‑driven AI solutions with a value of up to $9 million from Esri Canada through a streamlined competitive process. 

GIS technology empowers analysts and leaders to visualize data with maps, perform spatial analysis and reveal patterns to make smarter predictions and decisions. Geospatial AI (GeoAI) is the intersection of GIS and AI technology. It is designed to help automate data creation, extraction and analysis to uncover relevant insights faster. Esri is committed to responsible AI development in its ArcGIS platform, keeping organizational data private and protected, and its human users in control of outcomes. In development is a set of AI-powered chatbots that help boost user productivity and enhance the user experience. 

“This prequalification highlights the power of location intelligence and our dedication to advancing AI responsibly,” said Alex Miller, president, Esri Canada. “With our GeoAI solutions, federal government organizations can empower their staff with location intelligence to improve service delivery, strengthen sustainability initiatives and make faster, better-informed decisions for Canadians.”

Esri Canada met all mandatory criteria for the AI Source List:

AI Ethics – Esri Canada is committed to ethical AI practices and collaboration with clients for best practices in data governance.

AI Implementation – Esri Canada has implemented numerous successful GeoAI projects and used deep learning models in several areas, including:

• Urban planning – for extracting building footprints to monitor urban sprawl.

• Marine mammal detection – for monitoring changes in beluga whale populations to determine climate change impacts.

• Automated missing road detection – for identifying missing roads from existing Canadian road network datasets using satellite imagery and telematics data to help municipalities enhance the completeness and accuracy of the datasets.

• Automated road paint management – for identifying road markings that need to be repainted.

• Agricultural monitoring and land-use change analysis – for automating tasks such as field boundary delineation, building footprint detection, land cover classification, irrigated land mapping and crop type identification.

• Forestry management – for monitoring illegal deforestation in real time via satellite imagery.

• Disaster response –  for rapid damage assessment using drone imagery post-disaster events.

AI Talent – Esri Canada’s team has qualified expertise and extensive experience in machine learning, natural language processing and predictive modelling.

Esri Canada’s GeoAI solutions leverage pre-trained models and custom fine-tuning for various applications. Nearly 100 pre-trained deep learning models are available in Esri’s ArcGIS Living Atlas, including solutions for land cover classification, change detection and feature extraction. The solutions provide end-to-end workflows for remotely sensed imagery, enhancing data accessibility and collaboration.

Learn more about GeoAI at esri.ca/geoai

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About Esri Canada

Founded in 1984, Esri Canada provides geographic information system (GIS) solutions that empower people in business, government, and education to make informed and timely decisions by leveraging the power of mapping and spatial analytics. These solutions enable organizations to better manage their resources, plan their future and collaborate within and beyond their organization. Esri Canada’s products and services help advance successful digital transformation. The company serves more than 14,000 organizations from 14 offices across Canada and is based in Toronto. Esri Canada has been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies for 13 consecutive years. More information can be found at esri.ca. Follow Esri Canada on X (Twitter), Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Source: Esri Canada