Settlement follows the collapse of free commerce talks between the international locations final week.
Canada and the UK (UK) have agreed to collaborate on analysis into high-tech sectors resembling semiconductors and quantum, in addition to increasing entry to synthetic intelligence (AI) compute capability.
The 2 nations signed memorandums of understanding (MOU) Wednesday, the primary specializing in selling analysis and options in quantum, AI, semiconductors, engineering biology and clear power.
Canada and the UK have a historical past of collaborating on AI analysis and improvement.
That MOU supersedes an earlier settlement signed in 2017, that noticed the 2 international locations comply with collaborate on superior manufacturing, agricultural applied sciences, and different areas of the tech sector. That settlement generated near $150 million in joint analysis initiatives, in line with a press release from the Canadian authorities.
By means of the brand new MOU, the international locations work collectively on enhancing analysis and improvement, commercialization, and science diplomacy and governance associated to life sciences, cleantech, and rising applied sciences like semiconductors, quantum, and AI.
The second settlement will see the UK and Canada accomplice to help researchers and the personal sector with extra inexpensive entry to computing capability for AI techniques. In accordance with a 2023 report by the Organisation for Financial Cooperation and Improvement (OECD), no nation has a focused plan for nationwide AI compute capability. The OECD known as this a “blind-spot” which will hamper nations’ AI methods.
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The signing occurred throughout an official go to to Canada by UK Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Expertise Michelle Donelan, who met with Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Trade François-Philippe Champagne.
Canada and the UK have a historical past of collaborating on AI analysis and improvement. In 2020, the 2 international locations partnered to present funding to firms conducting AI analysis. A 12 months prior, the Canadian Institute for Superior Analysis launched a collection of workshops inspecting the societal results of AI, in partnership with its French and British counterparts.
Regardless of this historical past of collaboration, the brand new agreements comply with financial tensions between Canada and the UK. Final week, British negotiators backed out of free commerce talks with Canada as a result of entry disputes over Canada’s dairy market.
In a press release, Champagne famous that the 2 nations have a “deep relationship,” and Donelan famous these MOUs will “deepen that relationship even additional.”
With information from Alex Riehl.
Characteristic picture courtesy François-Philippe Champagne through X.
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