$18 Million to Launch the Digital and Quantum Innovation Platform
Accelerating Quebec's digital transformation
Sherbrooke, le 21 avril 2022 – The Digital and Quantum Innovation Platform (PINQ2) was created as an initiative of the Université de Sherbrooke and the Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation du Québec. This unique high-performance computing platform will be the catalyst leading to an ecosystem of collaborative research projects between scientists, businesses, and organizations.
PINQ2'smission is to increase collaboration and technology transfer between industry and the research community and to accelerate the digital transformation of companies by training tomorrow's talents. Centred on the values of collaboration, equity, excellence, and sustainable development, the platform will become a reference centre in Quebec and Canada to facilitate and accelerate the adoption of digital technologies.
This platform will be able to carry out its role by joining forces with a large group of academic and industrial partners. This includes $16 million in funding from the provincial government and significant support from world-class industry leaders.
“Quebec is increasingly becoming a leader in quantum science and technology. To continue on this path, we need the most advanced technologies, such as PINQ2, that enable innovation and create links between researchers and the entrepreneurial community.”
- Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of the Economy and Innovation and Minister Responsible for Regional Economic Development
A Collaborative Ecosystem
“The platform, anchored in Quebec and entirely available via cloud computing, will increase the link between university research and industrial partners. In fact, PINQ2 will provide companies and university research teams with a very high performance computing infrastructure, close to industry standards, accompanied by professional software, while guaranteeing that data will be kept in Quebec.”
- Vincent Aimez, Vice-Principal, Development and Partnerships, Université de Sherbrooke and Chair of the PINQ2 Board of Directors
PINQ2 will offer integrated solutions for a range of sectors, such as health care, sustainability, artificial intelligence, and digital media. Many partners have already shown interest in using the platform. Pilot projects are underway, particularly in the field of industrial simulation and machine learning.
Taking Part in Economic Development
Whether it's designing and developing innovation pathways in cybersecurity, deploying the Internet of things, or developing smart cities and transportation, quantum digital will greatly enhance the development of new technologies.
In the coming months, PINQ2 will offer hybrid computing and access to quantum infrastructure. The platform will serve as a place of experimentation to test the applications of quantum computing. The advances will yield powerful and fast tools, thus contributing to the development of several fields of activity and democratizing access to quantum technology.
“With its unique and accessible offering, PINQ2 will contribute to the evolution of certain approaches and will help organizations and all of Quebec to solve complex problems in several sectors. By propelling innovation, PINQ2 will become a go-to partner to help companies find maximum value through digital technology.”
- Éric Capelle, Chief Executive Officer, PINQ2
Training the Next Generation
PINQ2 aims to train the next generation of professionals required to develop the digital maturity of Quebec industry. By supporting a series of collaborative projects with the university sector, including numerous research centres, the NPO will provide a state-of-the-art learning environment for many graduate students and post-doctoral researchers who will be actively involved in the projects.
These highly qualified human resources will allow companies to gain a dominant position in the market and facilitate their access to funding programs provided by government agencies. Education and higher education will enable Quebec to develop as an inclusive, equitable, and innovative digital society. PINQ2 will therefore support several initiatives to attract the interest of high-school and CEGEP students to digital professions.
A Mobilized Network
A large-scale project never happens on its own. Accordingly, PINQ2 will actively collaborate with Quebec's innovation ecosystem. In addition, it will be accessible through projects supported by several provincial and federal agencies to accomplish its mission, including Prompt, PRIMA, and Mitacs. In particular, these partners will provide access to financing opportunities, making it easier to carry out PINQ2 projects.
“Through its specialized funding programs for new technologies, particularly in the digital sector, Prompt shares the same vision as PINQ2, hoping to drive innovation through collaborative research—among other things—in order to foster the creation of long-term wealth within Quebec society. This is why we are convinced that PINQ2, in partnership with Prompt, will provide concrete solutions to Quebec's industrial and academic sectors through its innovative offering.”
- Frédéric Bove, Chief Executive Officer, Prompt
“As a research and innovation cluster in advanced materials, PRIMA Québec supports collaborative innovation projects. We are delighted with the creation of PINQ2. It will play a key role in Quebec to develop the field of advanced materials, which is a strategic and fast-growing sector. We are already anticipating the various breakthroughs that will result from the partnership between PINQ2 and PRIMA and that will contribute to Quebec's competitiveness.”
- Marie-Pierre Ippersiel, President and Chief Executive Officer, PRIMA Québec
“The infrastructure and approaches that provide access to the latest advances in computing offered by PINQ2 are critical to ensuring that our industries remain at the forefront of the digital transformation that has become essential to their competitiveness across all markets.”
- Jesse Vincent-Herscovici, Vice President, Business Development, Mitacs
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Information:
Isabelle Huard, Media-Relations Officer
Communications Department | Université de Sherbrooke
medias@USherbrooke.ca | 819-821-8000, ext. 63395