Hervé Montjotin, CEO of SOCOTEC at the Adopt AI Summit – AI at the heart of business transformation

Socotec, a company specializing in testing, inspection, and certification, operates in 26 countries. Socotec has two particularities : over the past seven years, Socotec has demonstrated impressive growth, tripling its size, with an actual substantial revenue of 1.4 billion euros. The second one is that Socotec focuses on ensuring the integrity and compliance of assets in buildings and infrastructure. The company’s efforts are centered on verifying the technical, financial, and environmental performance of various assets.

AI technology is crucial in enhancing the productivity and efficiency of Socotec’s inspectors. By leveraging the extensive data collected over years, AI helps streamline operations. For instance, in bridge inspections, AI combines visual data with sophisticated algorithms to detect cracks and other issues that may not be visible through traditional physical inspections. This integration allows for a more comprehensive and accurate assessment of infrastructure integrity.

“AI for us is a way to leverage the performance, the productivity, the efficiency of our inspectors. It transforms our operations by enhancing efficiency and opening up new possibilities for innovation, such as predictive maintenance and better risk management for building assets.”

Hervé Montjotin, CEO of Socotec

Socotec is at the forefront of exploring predictive maintenance services. An example includes monitoring water quality in rivers using a combination of sensors and historical data. This approach enables the prediction and mitigation of flooding risks, thereby preventing potential damage. These innovative services were previously unattainable before the advent of AI technology, showcasing the transformative impact of AI on Socotec’s service offerings.

Socotec leverages its rich engineering heritage and the agility gained from a significant transformation journey and very rapid growth. This journey has seen the company evolve from a French-centric business to a global player. Emphasizing the importance of talent acquisition : last year Socotec recruited more than 2000 people. Socotec focuses on recruiting skilled professionals and training existing staff to enhance their expertise in AI. The company also maintains a decentralized structure to foster innovation and flexibility.

Hervé Montjotin highlighted four main qualities for successful AI adoption within the company: encouraging adoption, training employees, connecting initiatives with a bottom up approach, and supporting meaning investing in business cases with strategic investment. To date, Socotec has trained over 1,000 employees in AI, ensuring they are well-equipped to leverage this technology effectively. The company manages AI initiatives through an AI Hub, which facilitates collaboration and innovation across its global operations.

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