17 septembre 2026
New AI Computing Infrastructure at Université Laval
Université Laval, in partnership with Mila and the Vector Institute, is pleased to announce the construction of a new artificial intelligence computing infrastructure. This high-performance cluster, located on the Université Laval campus, is scheduled to become fully operational this fall.
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From left to right: Frédéric Picard, Assistant Vice-Rector for Research, Creativity, and Innovation at Université Laval; Ben Davies, Chief Information Officer at Vector Institute; Florent Parent, Director of Digital Research Infrastructure at Université Laval; Glenda Crisp, President and CEO of the Vector Institute; Eugénie Brouillet, Vice-Rector for Research, Creativity, and Innovation at Université Laval; Frédéric Chanay-Savoyen, Vice President, AI Solutions and Technology at Mila; and Patrick Marois, Director of the Office of Digital Research at Université Laval
— Université Laval
This project represents the culmination of a multi-year strategic collaboration. The infrastructure is powered by a $40 million investment previously awarded by the Government of Canada to Mila and the Vector Institute. To bring this sovereign computing capacity to life, both institutes mandated Université Laval to host and manage the cluster, leveraging the university’s proven expertise in deploying and operating sustainable, high-performance computing environments.
The commissioning of this cluster marks a decisive step in strengthening Canada’s research autonomy. By providing dedicated resources to two of the country’s leading AI institutes, the infrastructure ensures that Canadian researchers have the domestic power necessary to lead global breakthroughs in health, economy, and social well-being.
Empowering National AI Research
This new access to compute capabilities will empower Mila’s researchers to further advance their work across diverse areas of expertise, from healthcare and the environment to the fundamental sciences, while ultimately helping to bridge the gap between discovery and the creation of new ventures that translate research into the market.
Vector's new AI project cluster Tide Water is designed to deliver dedicated, scalable compute for high-impact research and industry initiatives. Through a tiered access model, Vector will support researchers and industry partners undertaking promising projects that require additional capacity to advance breakthrough research, pilot programs, and proofs of concept.
Cutting-Edge Technology and Sustainability
The state-of-the-art facility will provide massive computing power, featuring 376 NVIDIA B200 GPUs and 96 of the latest NVIDIA RTX 6000 GPUs. To support this high-density deployment while ensuring peak energy efficiency, the facility utilizes advanced liquid cooling technology integrated within Dell server racks. This ensures optimal stability for next-generation accelerators while maintaining a sustainable operational profile.
The infrastructure is housed in a unique location: the repurposed silo of the former Van de Graaf particle accelerator in the Alexandre-Vachon Building. This groundbreaking design captures and utilizes the significant heat generated by the servers, equivalent to the energy needed to power 140 homes, to heat campus buildings. This circular energy model allows the university to reduce its carbon footprint by more than 3,000 tons of GHG emissions annually.
This new cluster will complement the tamIA computing cluster inaugurated in April 2025, further solidifying Université Laval's role as a cornerstone of the Pan-Canadian AI Compute Environment (PAICE).
Quotes
“In the face of today’s major challenges, innovation is essential. However, innovation must not come at the expense of our carbon footprint. At Université Laval, this vision guides our approach. Through our projects, partnerships, and infrastructure, we are helping to create a sovereign and sustainable artificial intelligence ecosystem for Canada.”
— Sophie d’Amours, Rector at Université Laval
" The new high-performance AI computing cluster at Université Laval marks an important step forward for our research community. Beyond strengthening Canada’s research autonomy, this infrastructure provides Mila with the additional computing power needed to drive scientific breakthroughs across healthcare, environmental sustainability, and fundamental sciences.”
— Valérie Pisano, President & Chief Executive Officer at Mila
"Université Laval brings world-class expertise to delivering this critical compute infrastructure, sharing our sense of urgency in making it available to the Vector Institute's scientific community. Their commitment and operational efficiency have allowed us to maximize the impact of every dollar invested, putting unparalleled computational power in the hands of Vector researchers and industry partners faster than we thought possible.”
— Ben Davies, Chief Information Officer at Vector Institute
