Canada joins EuroHPC initiative

Canada has joined the EuroHPC initiative, becoming the 39th participating state. This European Union-led program allows member states and partners to jointly fund and share access to supercomputers, with a total budget of 8.2 billion euros.

Access to advanced computing resources

Canadian researchers and start-ups now have access to Jupiter, a powerful supercomputer in Germany, and other supercomputers funded by the European Union. Jupiter is the first exaflop supercomputer in Europe, capable of performing a billion billion operations per second.

Strategic AI development

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, aims to connect this computing power with Canada’s AI industry to create competitive and secure artificial intelligence systems. This collaboration is seen as a way to bolster Canada’s AI capabilities and reduce reliance on foreign infrastructure.

Canadian supercomputer ambitions

Canada is also building its first public supercomputer dedicated to AI, with funding of 890 million Canadian dollars. The government plans to select the organization responsible for the project by early 2027 and may integrate the machine into the European network once it is operational.

European AI infrastructure expansion

The European Union has tasked EuroHPC with constructing seven gigafactories for AI, aiming to raise 30 billion euros, mostly from private investors. These massive data centers will be accessible to users from all participating states, including Canada.

Global AI governance efforts

Ottawa and Brussels are working to influence international AI rules. Canada has proposed an international council, similar to the Financial Stability Board, to regulate leading AI models and protect critical infrastructure. The EU has started enforcing its AI Act, but international regulations remain lacking.

Canadian tech collaboration

On the first day of a recent summit, Ottawa announced its participation in Cohere, a Toronto-based AI company. Cohere recently signed an acquisition agreement with its German competitor Aleph Alpha, aiming to provide an alternative to American tech giants.

Transatlantic data infrastructure

Ottawa and Brussels have begun planning a direct transatlantic data cable to reduce Canada’s reliance on the United States for internet traffic. Currently, about 80% of Canadian internet traffic passes through the U.S., prompting the need for more independent infrastructure.