Welding the Future: How Novarc Technologies Helps Canadian Manufacturers Overcome Skilled Labour Shortages

In a fast-evolving construction and fabrication industry, the ability to scale efficiently while maintaining precision is a competitive advantage. Across sectors like oil & gas, aerospace, shipbuilding, and district energy, companies rely on high-quality, high-productivity welding to meet strict regulatory standards. But as demand rises, the industry is facing a growing challenge: a shortage of skilled welders.

For Pitt Meadows Plumbing & Mechanical Systems in Maple Ridge, B.C., one of Canada’s most forward-thinking mechanical contractors specializing in high-rise residential, institutional, and light industrial construction, they sought a solution that would enhance both productivity and quality control—without increasing reliance on an already stretched labour force. That’s where Novarc Technologies, a North Vancouver-based robotics company, stepped in.

Founded in 2013, Novarc Technologies is a full-stack robotics company specializing in cobots (collaborative robots) and AI-driven machine vision solutions for autonomous welding. Its flagship innovation—the Spool Welding Robot (SWR)—is the world’s first pipe welding cobot, designed to increase fabrication throughput by 3-5X while reducing weld repair rates to less than 1%.

By integrating Novarc’s SWR into its operations, Pitt Meadows Plumbing has been able to improve project timelines, maintain compliance, and reduce dependency on highly skilled manual welders.

“One of the main issues we were dealing with was the shortage of skilled welders,” explains Sam Revel, Senior Pre-Fabrication Manager at Pitt Meadows Plumbing. “We needed to find a way to increase our productivity in order to keep up with demand, and that was a major factor in our decision-making process.”

Beyond increasing output, Novarc’s AI-driven machine vision technology has helped Pitt Meadows improve weld precision and ensure reliability in Non-Destructive Testing (NDT). This has been critical as the company expands into complex projects like district energy plants, wastewater treatment facilities, and industrial construction.

“Novarc’s technology has allowed us to move toward industrialized construction by integrating robotics and AI into our operations,” adds Revel. “It’s a major step forward in making our fabrication process smarter and more scalable.”

For Soroush Karimzadeh, Novarc Technologies CEO and co-founder, automation isn’t just about increasing efficiency—it’s about ensuring Canada’s fabrication industry remains globally competitive.

“We designed the Spool Welding Robot to solve a real, industry-wide problem: a growing shortage of skilled welders,” says Karimzadeh. “By enabling companies like Pitt Meadows Plumbing to increase output, reduce errors, and streamline operations, we’re helping them take on larger, more complex projects with confidence.”

As the global construction sector embraces robotics, AI, and automation, Canada’s Novarc is at the forefront of industrialized construction and next-generation fabrication. Through partnerships with Canadian manufacturers like Pitt Meadows Plumbing, Novarc is helping to future-proof the industry—one precision weld at a time.

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This article is part of CCI’s new “By Canadian Innovators” series, which showcases how members of the Council of Canadian Innovators work with homegrown companies to fuel their growth and make Canada more prosperous. Each story in this series highlights the unique contributions of these companies to building a more prosperous, innovation-driven economy. To learn more about the companies CCI works with to build a more prosperous Canada, visit our member directory.