Bell and Queen's University announced plans in December to collaborate on a proposal to build and operate an artificial intelligence facility in Kingston.

Once complete, the building will be able to host a world-leading AI supercomputer, enabling groundbreaking research and technical advances.  

A memorandum of understanding between the entities is the next step in the university’s plan to draw on some of the more than $900 million announced by the federal government in its Sovereign Compute Infrastructure Program

If it is able to secure funding from the government, Queen’s will take the lead on research, chip procurement, system architecture, advanced technology programs and the design, build and operation of the supercomputer.

Bell, meanwhile, will lead the design, financing, construction, and maintenance of the facility, that will adhere to high efficiency standards and include an innovative heat recapture system.

“We are very pleased to partner with Bell on this transformative project,” says Nancy Ross, Vice-Principal (Research). “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 across disciplines, attract top talent, and ensure that critical AI development remains in Canada.”

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.

Canada is currently the only G7 country without a global top 30 supercomputer. That means that its sensitive data – including genomic datasets, bank information, and manufacturers’ supply chains – and AI models are stored and trained on foreign systems, which raises concerns about data sovereignty and security.

The new facility and supercomputer will help safeguard sensitive information and intellectual property from oversight by foreign governments.