KBR makes investment in AI company Applied Computing

KBR has announced a strategic investment in UK-based Applied Computing, its first strategic investment in an AI company, as it looks to advance the delivery of AI solutions across the energy, chemical and industrial sectors

The companies will together accelerate the development of new digital products and expand AI capabilities across KBR’s global technology portfolio. The deal also includes a multi-year agreement to co-develop exclusive AI tools for the energy sector.

The companies will integrate Applied Computing’s proprietary Orbital foundational model with KBR’s licensed process technologies, domain expertise in capital projects and supply chains to deploy and develop new technologies across the full energy lifecycle, covering asset operations, capital projects, and the derisking of next generation technologies. The focus is on using physics-based models to analyse process data in real time, helping engineers spot early warning signs, optimise performance and make more reliable decisions across complex assets.

KBR chief digital and development officer Greg Conlon, said, “We’re very excited about what this technology could unlock across the full lifecycle for multiple industries, and we’re thrilled to make this investment in Applied Computing to spur future technologies.

“This investment strengthens KBR’s position at the forefront of applied AI and enables us to scale innovations across our full range of licensed technologies and has the potential to create a new paradigm for OpEx analytics and NextGen CapEx delivery. Together, we’re redefining how AI powers the critical systems that drive global economic growth.”

Callum Adamson, CEO of Applied Computing, said, “It’s our mission to provide operators with a foundation model that unlocks advantage at scale while delivering pathways to production that are safer, more efficient and far less carbon intensive.

“KBR is a natural fit for that mission. Their decades of data, industry domain knowledge and global reach mean we can now accelerate deployment of Orbital across the sector.”