Bombardier taps Newfoundland AI firm to improve jet design and manufacturing
Bombardier has signed a multi-year, multimillion-dollar contract with CoLab AI Inc., a St. John's-based software company, to deploy artificial intelligence across the Quebec jet maker's design and manufacturing processes.
CoLab builds AI software for engineering teams that automatically applies knowledge from past projects to improve design quality and accelerate product development. The company was founded in 2017.
Under the deal, Bombardier will use CoLab's AI services throughout its product development cycles. The collaboration enables faster timelines and adds AI-driven capabilities to existing procedures.
How the technology works
CoLab's approach focuses on codifying what experienced engineers already know. The platform captures lessons learned and technical decisions, then applies that knowledge automatically to future projects.
Adam Keating, CoLab's chief executive officer, said the contract reflects the company's ability to solve complex challenges for large engineering organizations. "The question executive teams have for us is: How do we adopt AI in a way that our competitors can't replicate?" he said.
For product development teams, the answer often lies in capturing institutional knowledge. Your most experienced engineers understand customer needs and technical tradeoffs. A platform that codifies and scales that knowledge becomes an engineering operating system.
Bombardier's strategic move
Eric Filion, Bombardier's executive vice-president of programs and supply chain, said integrating AI into design and engineering processes will strengthen the company's ability to deliver business jets. It will also enable teams to make engineering decisions based on real-time data analysis.
Bombardier did not disclose the exact contract value. The company is accelerating AI adoption in engineering while supporting Canadian aerospace technology development.
Broader market trend
This partnership reflects a wider shift among manufacturing leaders. According to Keating, engineering executives increasingly seek platforms that boost organization-wide effectiveness, not just point solutions.
"A growing number of engineering executives are looking for platforms that can boost organization-wide engineering effectiveness," Keating said. Companies are placing larger bets and giving AI a more central role in their engineering data and strategy.
For teams working in AI for Product Development, understanding how companies like Bombardier apply AI to design workflows offers practical insights into implementation at scale. AI Design Courses can help product development professionals understand these applications in depth.
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