Much has been written about Canada’s lagging innovation and productivity indicators. The federal government has struggled to offer effective solutions, alternating between and .
Last month, however, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne quietly put out a detailing plans to allocate the Budget 2024 centrepiece, a $2 billion investment in artificial intelligence (AI). It signaled a welcome shift toward incorporating implementation and impact in Canada’s innovation ambitions.
An important element of the minister’s announcement was the expansion of data centres — places where Canadian businesses and researchers can access the computing resources necessary to explore AI solutions. This approach presents an opportunity to leverage technology where Canada is already a leader and share the benefits broadly.
While academics have conducted plenty of AI-focused research, most Canadians have a limited understanding of its potential. Adoption is barely on the radar. This limits economic growth and fails to move the needle on productivity. .
The recent announcement suggests a vast majority of federal AI investments will continue to flow to current players. Yet, a portion has notionally been set aside to offer compute resources that will prioritize public-private partnerships, accelerate AI adoption and foster practical, industry-relevant research. If such models land, they have the potential to facilitate AI integration and strengthen partnerships within Canada’s AI ecosystem.
In the past, the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy sought to address these issues by as a metric of commercialization success. This approach missed the mark for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which make up and .
Applied research is a promising alternative. Demand-driven, it encourages industry to define the purpose of the research, putting innovation within reach of even the smallest company. As AI transitions from theoretical to practical, efforts must increasingly demonstrate how AI can be leveraged to enhance competitiveness, improve products and foster growth.
In our vision, Canada’s global leadership in theoretical research at the would be supplemented by three new . The new facilities would focus on addressing the needs of entrepreneurs, community organizations, students and others for whom the existing research centres were out of reach.
Canada’s polytechnics are ideal homes for these centres. Their applied research track records illustrate strong industry relationships and, most importantly, allow businesses to retain the intellectual property arising from their collaborations. Current AI research at polytechnics is dealing with pragmatic applications such as , and .
As entrepreneurship incubators, polytechnics often provide space, equipment and expertise designed to turn a concept into reality. We also foresee the centres as destinations for businesses struggling to integrate AI technologies, providing the critical infrastructure that most SMEs lack. Housing this capacity alongside applied research expertise stands to make AI experimentation accessible, put commercialization within reach and generate positive downstream impacts for the economy.
Instead of merely encouraging individuals and organizations to adopt AI, Canada would be actively supporting them on the journey.
Like many elements of Canada’s innovation strategy, national investments in AI stand to benefit from a stronger emphasis on near-to-commercialization support. In fields where Canadian researchers excel and lead, companies, organizations, non-profits and individuals should be supported to follow and commercialize. This approach ensures investments in the research ecosystem continue to be valued and useful.
QUOI Meda Group
Ricardo Arena is Senior Policy Analyst at Polytechnics Canada, a national association of the country’s leading polytechnic institutions.
