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.

Queen’s 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’s 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.

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.

“Queen’s is pleased to partner with Simon Fraser University to help strengthen Canada’s sovereign, energy-efficient AI supercomputing capacity,” says Nancy Ross, Vice-Principal (Research). “This collaboration draws on complementary strengths in artificial intelligence and high-performance computing to help cultivate talent, support breakthrough research, strengthen Canada’s economic competitiveness, and ensure we have the infrastructure needed to thrive in an increasingly AI-driven world.”
 

A national model for supercomputing and AI in Canada

Meeting the growing demand for high-performance computing will require both deep technical expertise and proven capacity at scale. Queen’s and SFU are advancing a model that could place Canada among global leaders in supercomputing. It includes Canada’s first top-10 leadership class system hosted at Queen’s in Kingston and a top-25 system hosted in British Columbia by SFU.

Queen’s 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’s most powerful supercomputers, including systems ranked among the global top ten in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

The work is led by experts such as Ryan Grant, a global supercomputing researcher and head of the CAESAR lab, Canada's largest group focused on exascale system design and energy-efficient supercomputing, and Ian Karlin, a former principal engineer at NVIDIA. Queen's is also home to the Centre for Advanced Computing, a leading research data centre and analytics hub.

SFU complements that strength with experience in operating large-scale systems and leadership in AI, quantum technologies, and climate-related research. It runs Canada’s largest public supercomputing system, serving more than 24,000 researchers and industry partners nationwide. Its Cedar Supercomputing Centre is powered by clean energy and is among the most efficient data centres in the world.

“Canada needs secure, world‑class computing infrastructure to lead in the next generation of artificial intelligence,” says Dugan O’Neil, Vice-President, Research and Innovation at SFU. “By partnering with Queen’s, we’re 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.”
 

Expanding capability through industry partnership

The proposed model also includes collaboration with national industry partner Bell Canada. Bell would help develop the supercomputing facility in Kingston, while Queen’s would lead the design, build, and operation of the system. Bell would also help expand capacity in British Columbia, supporting the distributed approach across both sites. Together, this model is designed to provide Canada-wide access, enabling research and technological advances across key sectors and national priority areas.

“Bell is proud to support Canada’s leading research institutions by providing the infrastructure needed to operate at national scale,” says Dan Rink, President, Bell AI Fabric. “Collaboration between universities like Queen’s and Simon Fraser University plays an important role in strengthening Canada’s AI ecosystem, enabling shared research, talent development, and innovation that benefits research, industry, and the country as a whole.”

The collaboration is designed to strengthen Canada’s digital sovereignty and ensure researchers and companies have the computing power to compete globally. It positions the country to attract talent, deepen international collaboration, and lead in artificial intelligence as demand for advanced computing continues to grow.

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