Infrastructure’s Next Technology Wave Will Be Built Inside Engineering Firms

A conversation with Dustin Parkman, Chief Technology Officer at Consor

After more than 20 years shaping industry-defining technology platforms at Bentley Systems, Dustin Parkman joined Consor as Chief Technology Officer to help lead a new wave of innovation in infrastructure. Engineering firms are increasingly positioned to shape how technology is developed and applied, bringing specialized technical expertise, direct relationships with infrastructure owners, firsthand knowledge of the evolving challenges communities face, and data that provides a rich foundation for AI applications.

At Bentley, Dustin helped shape platforms including OpenRoads and ProjectWise and established the technology foundation behind the company’s digital twin strategy. He now brings that experience to Consor’s strategy of integrating engineering expertise with advanced technology, building on recent investments in its ConeLabs AI-enabled inspection platform and Cavnue intelligent infrastructure platform for real-time roadway awareness.

In this conversation, Dustin explores why the age of AI marks a turning point for the infrastructure industry. Drawing on his experience as a technology leader, he examines how engineering firms like Consor can put decades of project data and specialized expertise to work expanding the value created for infrastructure owners.

How are AI and cloud platforms expanding the value engineering firms can create for infrastructure owners?

Engineering firms can build more of their specialized knowledge directly into the digital solutions owners use. Historically, software was built for broad markets, and engineers applied their expertise to make them work for a particular project. Advances in AI and cloud platforms are giving us more scope to develop solutions around the specific infrastructure challenges our clients face.

These advancements can give owners access to engineering insight in ways that were previously difficult to scale. Inspection is one area that offers opportunity to capture that value. With our ConeLabs platform, for example, we can reduce manual processing while producing more detailed condition data to support maintenance decisions. The value comes through the decisions that data make possible and, ultimately, the safety and reliability of the infrastructure communities depend on.

How can digital twins extend engineering value beyond project handover?

A digital twin, or a virtual model of an asset, can make project data the foundation for ongoing asset management. To use a bridge as an example, data captured during design and construction could be updated with inspection findings and repair records throughout its life. That history may help engineers track how a defect is progressing and advise the owner on when to intervene or how to prioritize repairs across its bridge inventory. Planning from the beginning for how data can be kept current and how owners can view it alongside engineering insights creates a much longer relationship with the asset and the client.

Where is AI ready to create measurable value in the infrastructure lifecycle?

Engineering firms have an advantage in the age of AI: decades of real project data and the expertise to make sense of it. At Consor, that includes years of inspection records and engineering assessments. AI-based image analysis has been used in inspection to identify features such as visible defects to reduce the time engineers spend processing imagery. Many detection applications, however, were developed without the depth of project data and engineering expertise needed to interpret findings in context. Combining that accumulated knowledge with Consor’s ConeLabs platform creates an opportunity to strengthen assessments across projects and give owners a better basis for repair decisions.

That potential extends throughout the infrastructure lifecycle. Engineering firms hold specialized knowledge that often stays within individual projects. I see potential for building specialized AI models that leverage this data and engineering knowledge before work reaches the field. AI can also make the knowledge within a firm more accessible, giving engineers better access to experience from previous projects. To be clear, the engineer still makes the call, and success should be measured by the quality of the work and the decisions it supports for the owner.

What will it take for the industry to realize the full value of engineer-driven digital solutions?

The industry is moving toward a fundamental shift in how engineering work is valued. When a firm is paid for its time, technology that produces a better result in fewer hours can also reduce its revenue. That creates a difficult incentive for firms investing in developing digital solutions. Our commercial models need to recognize the value of the outcome so firms and owners both benefit from better ways of working.

Engineering firms also need the capabilities to take their ideas beyond individual projects. A lot of useful technology gets developed by engineers, but firms often lack the software development experience to maintain those applications and roll them out across the business. My experience in software has taught me how much work goes into making a solution dependable at scale and supporting the people using it. At Consor, we’re leading this shift.

Another challenge is that owners shoulder the huge burden of delivering and maintaining the infrastructure their communities depend on every day, so they need full confidence in a new approach. Building that confidence takes evidence and experience, so adoption can take time. But they are also strongly incentivized to pursue innovation to do more with constrained budgets. Demonstrating dependable results gives owners a basis for adopting technology that can stretch their resources further and allow more infrastructure needs to be addressed.

What does Consor’s technology strategy make possible, and where will you focus first?

Consor has made a decision to put technology at the center of its direction and backed it with investment. That’s what attracted me. After more than 20 years on the software development side, I wanted to help shape this next wave of innovation alongside the engineers and infrastructure professionals who put that technology to work every day for clients and communities.

With our ConeLabs inspection platform, Cavnue intelligent infrastructure platform, and deep expertise of our engineers and designers, we have a strong foundation to build on. My focus now is identifying where technology can create even greater value for our clients as we scale solutions across our business. I see the biggest opportunity in turning our engineering knowledge into capabilities that extend well beyond individual projects—transforming how infrastructure owners understand, manage, and invest in their assets for years to come.

Follow Dustin for insights on industry shifts and Consor’s approach to infrastructure innovation.