Canada’s global competitiveness and digital sovereignty are increasingly tied to its ability to develop secure, large-scale AI compute infrastructure. As artificial intelligence reshapes economies and accelerates innovation, access to trusted, high-performance compute is becoming a critical strategic asset, one that drives productivity, national security, and long-term economic growth. While Canada remains a world leader in AI research and talent, it lags behind other advanced economies in building the computing capacity needed to fully leverage these strengths.

This policy brief outlines a national approach to AI compute that aligns with Canada’s economic, security, and innovation goals. It ensures that the country remains a driver, not just a consumer, of next-generation digital technologies.

Recommendations

ICTC identifies six foundational principles that should guide Canada’s national AI compute strategy:

  • Industrial Strategy: Canada must approach AI compute as a strategic economic priority, aligning public investments with national innovation goals and long-term competitiveness.
  • Intellectual Property Ownership and Retention: Policies should ensure Canadian ownership of key infrastructure and the IP generated through public investments.
  • Supply Chain Resiliency: Building resilient, domestic supply chains for chips, hardware, and data infrastructure is critical to mitigate global disruptions.
  • Environmental Sustainability: AI infrastructure must be developed with low-carbon technologies and responsible energy use.
  • Regionality: Compute infrastructure should be distributed across regions to support inclusive growth and access.
  • Tax and Financial Incentives: Strategic financial tools should be deployed to encourage private-sector participation and accelerate national capacity building.

Read the full policy brief: 

Advancing Canada’s National Sovereign AI Compute Capacity: An ICTC Policy Brief 

 

To cite this report:

Erik Henningsmoen, Noah Lubendo, Mairead Matthews, Heather McGeer. Advancing Canada’s National Sovereign AI Compute Capacity: An ICTC Policy Brief. Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC), July 2025. Ottawa, Canada. Author order is alphabetized.