CALGARY, Can.; July 9, 2024
Calgary, Canada; July 9, 2024 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has announced the acquisition of True North Solutions, a Calgary-based provider of industrial engineering solutions. This strategic move aims to bolster Accenture’s capabilities in the oil, gas, and mining sectors, focusing on enhancing operational technology (OT) integration for safer and more efficient energy production and transportation.
True North Solutions brings specialized knowledge in OT, the hardware and software systems used to operate and control physical equipment and facilities such as pipelines, refineries, plants, and mines. The acquisition will enable Accenture to better connect clients’ OT systems with their enterprise IT infrastructure. This integration is expected to optimize equipment and facility performance through real-time data analytics, while also facilitating the engineering and commissioning of new field operations with seamless OT-IT integration from the outset.
“True North Solutions brings boots-on-the-ground understanding of how to design, build, and commission our clients’ critical assets and infrastructure,” said Adam Foster, Accenture Canada’s Energy Portfolio leader. “We are combining True North Solutions’ unique expertise with our advanced digital capabilities, such as digital thread, predictive maintenance, and intelligent asset management, to improve the performance and safety of our clients’ field operations.”
David Morgenstern, President of Accenture in Canada, highlighted the transformative potential of this acquisition: “In welcoming True North Solutions to our Industry X and Resources team at Accenture, we will help our clients benefit from transformative technologies such as generative and predictive AI through digitally enabled field operations. Smart operations mean greater productivity and predictability, helping clients operate with increased efficiency and safety.”
Blair Hanel, CEO of True North Solutions, expressed enthusiasm for the merger: “By joining Accenture, we’re giving our clients in North America access to Accenture’s digital leadership in areas such as cloud, data, and AI, and global scale, which will help them advance their businesses. Our teams will benefit from the opportunity to grow and deepen their careers in one of the world’s most innovative, inclusive, and global organizations.”
True North Solutions’ portfolio includes engineering and commissioning, industrial automation solutions, enterprise asset management, OT cybersecurity, and digital infrastructure for industrial telecommunications. Their team of 95 experts in automation, instrumentation, and electrical engineering will join Accenture’s Industry X digital engineering and manufacturing service.
This acquisition is part of Accenture’s broader strategy to enhance capabilities for asset-intensive companies in Canada. Previous acquisitions include Comtech Group, specializing in consulting and program management for infrastructure projects, and Eclipse Automation, a provider of customized manufacturing automation and robotics solutions.
The financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.