Scale AI, the AI-Powered Supply Chain Supercluster to Receive Funding from Innovation Superclusters Initiative
Scale AI is proud to have been selected by the Government of Canada as one of 5 superclusters to receive funding allocated through the Innovation Superclusters Initiative. The announcement was made today by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development of Canada, the Honourable Navdeep Bains.
This outcome could not have been accomplished without the generous contribution of time and effort by the academic research institutions, IVADO and University of Waterloo, with the support of a dedicated project team staffed on a voluntary basis by professionals and organizations such as BCG, CGI, Norton Rose Fulbright, OPTEL GROUP, PwC Canada and SCMA.
Close to 120 industrial partners, enabling organizations and world-class research institutions have joined forces to create this Canadian industry-led innovation consortium. Altogether, partners have already committed $700 million in support of this ground-breaking initiative.
The contribution agreement to be concluded shortly with the Government of Canada will enable Scale AI to launch its operations and collaborative transformation projects leading to the accelerated development and early integration of next-generation, AI-powered supply chains in our economy.
The Canadian supply chain provides almost a million jobs and makes up 10% of our GDP. Increasingly, supply chains are being disrupted by digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI). SCALE.AI will seize this opportunity to empower Canada as an applied-AI powerhouse and the nexus for global trade.
“Our mission is to increase the wealth and quality of life of Canadians through technology-driven, sustainable and inclusive economic growth.”
— Louis Roy, President, OPTEL GROUP and Co-Chair Scale AI
“Scale AI will build something unique: bolster Canada’s leadership in AI and data science, and define the new supply-chain platform, deeply impacting the retail, manufacturing and transport sectors. Scale AI will drive economic growth, create highly-skilled jobs and boost our talent pool, putting AI at the service of all Canadians.”
— Hélène Desmarais, Chairman HEC Montréal, Executive Chairman CEIM and Co-Chair Scale AI
“Our strength lies in the diversity and complementarity of our partners, all of them, eager to work together for the success of this global impact regional innovation ecosystem. Scale AI will empower Canada as a global hub for industrial AI and intelligent supply chains.”
— Luc Pinard, Executive VicePresident, Corporate Performance CGI
“Supply chains are a key focus area of IVADO’s applied and collaborative research activities. Our leading capabilities in machine learning, operations research and data science will equip Canadian firms with next-generation technologies.”
— Gilles Savard, CEO, IVADO
“Digitization of supply chains require technology integration between AI, robotics, autonomous systems, data analytics, connectivity and IOT. Waterloo is known for research, training, industry collaboration and start-ups in these areas; with Quebec and Ontario collaborating this will have an enormous economic impact.”
— Pearl Sullivan, Dean of Engineering, University of Waterloo
“This country was built by supply chains, and investments from the government and industry partners represent a bold new direction for supply chain innovation in Canada.”
— Christian Buhagiar, President and CEO, SCMA
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