Canada has signalled it is ready to build national infrastructure in advanced computing, and two universities on opposite sides of the country are moving early to help shape it.<\/p>\n
Queen\u2019s and Simon Fraser University (SFU) have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly pursue federal support through the AI Sovereign Compute Infrastructure Program, expected to launch in 2026. The program is part of the Government of Canada\u2019s broader Sovereign AI Compute strategy to expand public supercomputing infrastructure and attract private investment. Through the partnership, the two institutions are combining their expertise to design and deliver a sovereign, secure, and sustainable high-performance computing system to support academia, government, and industry nationwide.<\/p>\n
The opportunity they are pursuing reflects the growing importance of high-performance computing. These systems help researchers to solve problems too large or complex for standard systems. They process massive amounts of data at high speed. They power detailed simulations, pattern analysis, and testing that would otherwise take years or be impossible. They drive innovation in areas such as healthcare, clean energy, defence, manufacturing, and public safety. As demand for artificial intelligence (AI) grows, so does the need for secure computing infrastructure that keeps data within Canadian borders.<\/p>\n
\u201cQueen\u2019s is pleased to partner with Simon Fraser University to help strengthen Canada\u2019s sovereign, energy-efficient AI supercomputing capacity,\u201d says Nancy Ross, Vice-Principal (Research). \u201cThis collaboration draws on complementary strengths in artificial intelligence and high-performance computing to help cultivate talent, support breakthrough research, strengthen Canada\u2019s economic competitiveness, and ensure we have the infrastructure needed to thrive in an increasingly AI-driven world.\u201d
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A national model for supercomputing and AI in Canada<\/p>\n
Meeting the growing demand for high-performance computing will require both deep technical expertise and proven capacity at scale. Queen\u2019s and SFU are advancing a model that could place Canada among global leaders in supercomputing. It includes Canada\u2019s first top-10 leadership class system hosted at Queen\u2019s in Kingston and a top-25 system hosted in British Columbia by SFU.<\/p>\n
Queen\u2019s brings experience in designing and building advanced computing systems. It is the only university in Canada with researchers who have helped develop some of the world\u2019s most powerful supercomputers, including systems ranked among the global top ten in the United States, Europe, and Asia.<\/p>\n
The work is led by experts such as Ryan Grant<\/a>, a global supercomputing researcher and head of the CAESAR lab<\/a>, Canada’s largest group focused on exascale system design and energy-efficient supercomputing, and Ian Karlin<\/a>, a former principal engineer at NVIDIA. Queen’s is also home to the Centre for Advanced Computing<\/a>, a leading research data centre and analytics hub.<\/p>\n SFU complements that strength with experience in operating large-scale systems and leadership in AI, quantum technologies, and climate-related research. It runs Canada\u2019s largest public supercomputing system, serving more than 24,000 researchers and industry partners nationwide. Its Cedar Supercomputing Centre<\/a> is powered by clean energy and is among the most efficient data centres in the world.<\/p>\n \u201cCanada needs secure, world\u2011class computing infrastructure to lead in the next generation of artificial intelligence,\u201d says Dugan O\u2019Neil, Vice-President, Research and Innovation at SFU. \u201cBy partnering with Queen\u2019s, we\u2019re bringing together the expertise, talent, and the national-scale facilities needed for a sovereign platform that Canadians can trust. This collaboration strengthens our research community, supports industry innovation, and helps ensure Canada remains competitive in a rapidly evolving global landscape.\u201d Expanding capability through industry partnership<\/p>\n
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