New collaboration will accelerate Canada’s AI ecosystem and strengthen digital sovereignty.
Bell, Canada’s largest communications company, and Queen’s University (Queen’s), a leading research-intensive institution, today announced they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to build and operate a next-generation, world-class Artificial Intelligence (AI) supercomputing facility. This partnership will enhance Canada’s AI capacity, drive domestic adoption of AI tools, and strengthen digital sovereignty at a critical moment in our nation’s history.
The vision will enable groundbreaking research and technical advances by combining Bell’s trusted telecommunications expertise with Queen’s research leadership and operational experience with top world supercomputing facilities. In so doing, Bell and Queen’s will support academic research and help Canadian AI leaders build scalable AI applications for businesses and government. As a Canadian-owned and governed initiative, the new supercomputer aims to help safeguard sensitive data and intellectual property from foreign government ownership and oversight.
Bell will lead the design, construction, financing, and maintenance of the turnkey building which will run on its high-speed, low latency fibre network. The facility will be built with high efficiency standards, including an innovative heat recapture design. Queen’s – home to the Centre for Advanced Computing and Canada’s largest cohort of researchers and students advancing extreme-scale systems – will spearhead the development of the new supercomputer and lead research, chip procurement, system architecture, advanced technology programs and the operation of the supercomputer.
Together, Bell and Queen’s share a vision to accelerate the Canadian AI ecosystem from breakthrough discoveries to real-world deployment. By establishing another pillar of sovereign compute infrastructure, this partnership will foster a more diverse and competitive AI landscape, maximizing the benefits of recent national investments.
Quotes
“Our collaboration with Queen’s University is a key step in building a strong, independent AI ecosystem right here in Canada. This facility will empower our country’s top talent to turn breakthrough research into real-world solutions and economic growth. By giving our innovators more resources, we are building a more competitive and resilient future for Canadian technology.”
– Dan Rink, President, Bell AI Fabric
“Queen’s University is proud to partner with Bell on this transformative project. Our researchers are global leaders in supercomputing, having contributed to the development of seven of the world’s top ten systems. Our researchers are also at the forefront of innovation in green supercomputing to help move the field toward more sustainable operations. This new facility will serve as a national testbed for Canadian technology and significantly strengthen our capacity to advance AI innovation, support research and discovery, attract top talent, and ensure that critical AI development remains in Canada.”
– Nancy Ross, Vice-Principal (Research), Queen’s University
About Bell
Bell is Canada’s largest communications company, leading the way in advanced fibre and wireless networks, enterprise services and digital media. By delivering next-generation technology that leverages cloud-based and AI-driven solutions, we’re keeping customers connected, informed and entertained while enabling businesses to compete on the world stage. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca.
About Queen’s University
Founded in 1841, Queen’s University, Canada, is an internationally ranked research-intensive university with more than 31,000 students and 5,000 faculty and staff. Queen’s is known for research in areas such as cancer detection and treatment, geoengineering, materials science, AI and supercomputing, and is home to the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics. Queen’s welcomes researchers and students from around the world and is one of Canada’s leading universities. To learn more, please visit queensu.ca
Source: Bell Canada
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