Ottawa, ON – September 24, 2025 – The Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) and Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute have entered a strategic learning partnership to drive responsible artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in Canada and position the country as a global leader in digital innovation, productivity, and competitiveness.
Canada’s economy faces well-documented productivity challenges and a persistent commercialization gap. Artificial intelligence, if adopted responsibly and at scale, offers a powerful means to address these issues by transforming business processes, strengthening research and innovation, and equipping workers with future-ready skills. This collaboration unites ICTC’s national expertise in workforce readiness, business innovation, and digital adoption with Mila’s global leadership in AI research and responsible innovation.
Together, the organizations will support Canadian students, workers, and enterprises to build the technical, ethical, and governance skills needed to thrive in an AI-driven economy. Furthermore, the partnership will equip small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and businesses with the knowledge and resources to adopt AI responsibly, boost productivity, and turn innovation into market-ready solutions. It is also designed to reach underserved and equity-deserving communities through inclusive and bilingual training programs in French and English.
In addition to training and capacity-building, the partnership will inform Canadian policy dialogue on topics such as AI competitiveness, responsible adoption, and equity-centred innovation, equipping government, industry, and civil society with the intelligence needed to shape a forward-looking national AI agenda and strengthen Canada’s standing in international discussions on AI governance.
“Artificial intelligence is an economic opportunity that can redefine Canada’s future,” shares Namir Anani, President and CEO, ICTC. “By leveraging our strengths in research, innovation, and talent, and by ensuring adoption is both responsible and inclusive, Canada can close its productivity gap, accelerate commercialization, and position itself as a global leader in the digital economy. ICTC’s partnership with Mila is about unlocking that potential and shaping a future where Canadian ingenuity drives sustainable prosperity at home and influence abroad.”
“Mila is committed to advancing AI technologies that are not only at the forefront of innovation but also socially beneficial and economically impactful. Through this collaboration, we can ensure that Canadian business leaders and policymakers have the tools and insights they need to lead the way in the responsible deployment of AI. By providing targeted, customized training and guidance, we are helping organizations thrive in an era defined by rapid technological change,” adds Valerie Pisano, President and CEO, Mila.
With this partnership, ICTC and Mila will expand Canada’s AI talent pipeline, support SMEs, foster Indigenous inclusion, and promote joint research and outreach — all while contributing to national dialogue on the responsible and equitable integration of AI.
About the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC)
The Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) is a neutral, not-for-profit national centre of expertise with the mission of strengthening Canada’s digital advantage in the global economy. For over 30 years, ICTC has delivered forward-looking research, practical policy advice, and capacity-building solutions for individuals and businesses. The organization’s goal is to ensure that technology is utilized to drive economic growth and innovation and that Canada’s workforce remains competitive on a global scale.
About Mila
Founded by Professor Yoshua Bengio of the University of Montreal, Mila is an artificial intelligence research institute that brings together nearly 900 researchers specializing in machine learning. Based in Montreal, Mila’s mission is to be a global hub for scientific advances that inspire innovation and development of AI for the benefit of all. Mila is a non-profit organization recognized worldwide for its significant contributions to the field of deep learning, particularly in language modeling, machine translation, object recognition, and generative models. For more information, visit mila.quebec.
