At the recent Intelligent ICT Awards Africa, their groundbreaking Corridor Vision roadway maintenance solution won the Intelligent Public Sector Implementation of the Year Award! It’s an incredible story of how outstanding leadership transformed highway road maintenance using predictive versus preventive AI.

We're thrilled to congratulate our friends and colleagues at the Djibouti Ports Corridor Road SA (DPCR) on their significant win of the Intelligent ICT Award Africa 2025! This prestigious honor celebrates DPCR SA's groundbreaking implementation of AI technology to revolutionize road maintenance.

DPCR SA has demonstrated exceptional vision in its approach to infrastructure management. As the organization responsible for maintaining the vital 650+ kilometer road network connecting Djibouti’s ports to neighboring countries, they've pioneered an intelligent solution using predictive versus preventive AI, to set a new standard for smart infrastructure across the region.

The Predictive Versus Preventive AI Advantage

Transportation authorities typically rely on preventive, scheduled maintenance strategies across entire road networks, regardless of actual needs. While preventive actions are better than reactive maintenance models that address problems only after they impact transportation flow, predictive maintenance programs offer an even better approach. Corridor Vision AI shifts the focus from a broad preventive maintenance strategy to targeted predictive intelligence using machine learning algorithms.

Both historical data and predictive analytics were crucial elements. However, DPCA recognized they needed to collect new data to pinpoint where maintenance issues were likely to arise. By equipping vehicles with GoPro cameras and dashcams, DPCR SA continuously captures high-quality video footage of the road network. This enables them to predict future events regarding road damage so that maintenance teams can address them proactively. This enhances road conditions and asset reliability.

The failure prediction system analyzes the footage frame by frame and annotates it to identify various types of road degradation. The data is fed into a customized AI platform using specialized AI models capable of automatically detecting and classifying road damage. A custom dashboard serves as a central command center for road maintenance operations. This control center empowers human intelligence with predictive insights. Real-time road condition data enables the team to schedule interventions to address issues before they impact trade routes, using both historical and new data.

The results speak for themselves:

• 30% reduction in maintenance costs, generating annual savings of $390,000
• 5X return on investment in AI technology
• Enhanced road safety through earlier detection of potential hazards
• Improved resource allocation for maintenance crews and equipment
• More resilient infrastructure supporting regional trade

Building Resilient Trade Routes with Predictive Versus Preventive AI

The impact of DPCR SA's innovative approach extends far beyond cost savings. By implementing predictive intelligence, rather than traditional preventive maintenance schedules, they've created a more resilient road network that can withstand heavy usage and environmental stresses through predictive methods. This improved durability ensures more reliable links between ports and neighboring countries. It directly supports Djibouti’s National Vision 2035 goals of establishing the country as a leading logistics and trade hub for East Africa.

DPCR SA’s implementation has also resulted in a comprehensive digital database of road infrastructure conditions, utilizing both past and new dynamic data inputs. This growing repository enables better trend analysis, more accurate degradation modeling, and improved long-term planning—all foundational elements for the future of infrastructure enhancement across the region.

A Powerful AI Partnership

The DPCR team brought outstanding vision and commitment to this initiative. They were convinced that AI could be the enabling technology for smart infrastructure management. The team’s commitment was an essential component of this collaborative partnership with the government authority. Working with DPCR's digital transformation partner 4C Solutions, RapidCanvas provided the AI-agent-powered platform that forms the backbone of the solution.

RapidCanvas helped bring DPCR SA's vision to life by developing AI-based predictive maintenance and machine learning algorithms capable of automatically detecting and classifying road damage. The initial phase focused on pothole detection, laying the groundwork for a more comprehensive system to identify multiple types of road deterioration.

Additionally, RapidCanvas partnered with Labelbox to implement the sophisticated data labeling workflow that transforms raw video footage into actionable data. The custom-built dashboard serves as a central command center for road maintenance operations. It provides DPCR SA’s team with real-time insights into road conditions across their network using both existing data and observability tools.

The Future of Infrastructure Management

DPCR SA's award-winning implementation showcases how the power of preventive versus predictive AI approaches can transform infrastructure management. As other organizations look to emulate this success, the predictive maintenance strategy pioneered by DPCR SA may well become the new standard for efficient, cost-effective infrastructure management.

Congratulations to the entire DPCR SA team on this well-deserved recognition. We are grateful for the opportunity to work closely with this visionary team!

Let RapidCanvas be your partner in this journey. We are here to help you turn your AI vision into a reality.

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