AI a 'great thing' for engineering amid labour shortage, says WSP Global CEO

The WSP Global Inc. logo is seen in Toronto. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Vokey

MONTREAL — WSP Global CEO Alexandre L’Heureux says artificial intelligence is a useful tool for engineering firms, rather than representing a threat to jobs or companies.

The chief executive says that amid an industrywide labour shortage and increasing project complexity, AI offers value in areas ranging from design to data analytics.

L’Heureux says capacity is already strained across the sector, and that AI is a “great thing” for productivity as the pool of engineers grows a meagre one per cent per year globally.

That productivity will be critical at WSP, which notched a record backlog of $19.7 billion at the end of its first quarter.

In February, the Montreal-based firm closed its acquisition of Connecticut-based TRC Cos., making WSP the largest engineering outfit in the U.S. by revenue, it says.

In the quarter ended March 27, WSP reported flat year-over-year profits of $144.1 million and revenue growth of four per cent to $4.55 billion.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2026.

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