On the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Avtodor and Sberbank signed an agreement on long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation in the development and application of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in road construction.
The document was signed by Vyacheslav Petushenko, Chairman of the Board of the Avtodor State Company, and Alexander Vedyakhin, First Deputy Chairman of the Board of Sberbank.
The agreement was signed with the aim of establishing a partnership aimed at implementing AI in the development of individual stages of the feasibility study and design estimates for projects for the construction and reconstruction of expressways. This approach will improve the accuracy of design solutions, accelerate their development, and introduce modern digital tools.
Vyacheslav Petushenko, Chairman of the Management Board of the State-owned Avtodor Company:
"High–speed highways are an engine for the development of many sectors of the economy. It is precisely such roads – without traffic lights and intersections on the same level – that enable users to save travel time, deliver goods quickly and safely, and contribute to the growing popularity of autotourism. Cooperation with Sberbank, which holds a leading position in the field of information technology and artificial intelligence, opens up new opportunities for the development of the high–speed road network in Russia and, at the same time, improving people's living conditions, increasing connectivity of territories, and attracting investment to the regions."
Alexander Vedyakhin, First Deputy Chairman of the Board of Sberbank:
"Today, investment projects in any field are unthinkable without the use of artificial intelligence. Thousands of Russian enterprises in all segments, from retail to mechanical engineering, are already using Sberbank's AI solutions, achieving impressive results. We have a long—term partnership with Avtodor, and the new agreement is a natural stage in the digital transformation of the road industry. The introduction of artificial intelligence speeds up calculations and increases their accuracy. Given the scale of Avtodor's activities, the company benefits from significant economic benefits, and motorists benefit from faster development of the road network across the country."
Currently, the Avtodor State-owned Company's high-speed highway network connects 19 regions, 2 of Russia's largest ports (the seaport of St. Petersburg and the Novorossiysk Commercial Port), and about 50 million people live in the gravity zone. Taking into account the extension of the M-12 Vostok highway to Tyumen, the coverage of the State-owned Company's network will increase to 71.6 million people (49% of the population of the Russian Federation) by 2026. The state–owned company has ambitious plans for the development of the North–South and West-East international transport corridors, including projects for the development of the road network of the Azov-Black Sea basin and the city of St. Petersburg.
The agreement provides for a joint study of the use of AI for the further development of the Russian highway network. The parties will join forces to identify the potential of macro-territories, taking into account the development of transport infrastructure, and share experiences in the use of digital technologies and software packages in their activities. Joint participation in working groups and initiatives on the use of AI within the competence of each of the parties, including international platforms, is also envisaged.
Avtodor and Sberbank PJSC have agreed to regularly exchange information, hold consultations, as well as plan and implement joint activities that contribute to achieving the purpose of the agreement. The document provides for the possibility of expanding cooperation by searching for new areas for further cooperation.
