The Fir system is accessible by researchers across Canada, empowering innovators to solve complex challenges at unprecedented speed and scale, driving new solutions and discoveries. While it is housed at SFU, the Cedar Supercomputing Centre supports research and collaboration among scholars and industry partners across the country. The Centre has more than 17,000 users, approximately 70% of whom are located outside B.C.
Located in B.C. and powered by clean energy, the Centre hosts Fir, which supports tasks that demand significant computational power, including GPU-intensive model training, simulation, and large-scale deployment. Fir allows users to harness world-class AI infrastructure, while safeguarding Canadian sovereignty, security and sustainability.
“Having one of the world’s most powerful computers in B.C. creates huge potential for researchers in the tech, life sciences, and innovation space to contribute to our province being the economic driver for the country,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth.
“By helping attract and retain top academics, researchers, and students, Fir is a natural fit with B.C.’s homegrown talent, it’s commitment to innovation and our approach to growing a world-leading start-up ecosystem that creates good jobs for people.”
One of the SFU scholars whose research relies on the Fir supercomputer’s processing power is Fiona Brinkman, distinguished professor of molecular biology & biochemistry with cross appointments in the School of Computing Science and Faculty of Health Sciences.
Brinkman has developed and maintained multiple world-class microbial genomics bioinformatics tools, expanding and advising national and international data integration efforts to better monitor population health and infectious disease. Her work supports and encourages collaboration between government, the private sector and academics across a variety of fields, and in 2025 she was recognized for her work with the Genome British Columbia Award for Scientific Excellence from Life Sciences BC.
In 2024 she led the landmark 500-author publication of the Canadian VirusSeq Data Portal – the first national microbial sequence database of its kind in Canada, used for real-time infectious disease monitoring and predictive modeling of disease waves. Brinkman is also leading development of CHILDdb – the most diverse collection of health and environment data associated with Canada’s largest longitudinal birth cohort.
“At a time when we want to capitalize on AI, while carefully protecting the security of Canadian data, this Canadian resource is absolutely critical,” says Brinkman.
“I’m so grateful for its impressive speed and energy efficiency, as we deal with growing datasets to analyze. Fir is supporting research that is identifying efficiencies for our healthcare system that will benefit Canadians and our economy.”