Consortium launched to position Atlantic Canada as hub of AI excellence
From the Springboard Content Lab
The Atlantic Artificial Intelligence Research Consortium (AIARC) has been launched to drive innovation, share knowledge and promote sustainable growth by advancing research and responsible adoption of AI.
The consortium is a regional partnership designed to connect academics, industry, and government to foster AI innovation and research across Atlantic Canada. It will position the region as a hub of AI excellence.
The consortium will drive innovation, facilitate knowledge sharing, and promote sustainable regional growth, while actively collaborating with other national centers and institutes. By advancing research in both fundamental and applied aspects of AI, we strive to cultivate partnerships among academia, industry leaders, and government to position Atlantic Canada as a hub of AI excellence.
– Atlantic Artificial Intelligence Research Consortium
AI Summit at Saint Mary’s in 2025
The Atlantic Canada AI Summit 2025 took place in May at Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Organized by members of our leading institutions, this summit fostered collaboration across academia and industry in Atlantic Canada.
The Summit showcased cutting-edge AI research, facilitated industry-academia collaboration, and highlighted the exceptional AI talent in the region. With attendance of over 450 participants, including 100 faculty members, 150 industry leaders, and 200-300 students, the 2025 Summit was widely hailed as a success. We hope to see you at the next AI Atlantic Summit in 2026. Details will be released in coming weeks, please stay tuned!
The consortium brings together researchers from universities and institutes across Atlantic Canada to collaborate on advancing AI in areas where the region has natural strengths, such as oceans, healthcare, agriculture, and climate resilience. It will also work to empower industry adoption and collaborate with government to shape future of AI in Atlantic Canada.
- AI for Healthcare Analytics
- AI in Agriculture and Precision Agriculture
- Climate Change and AI Systems
- Privacy-Preserving AI and Machine Learning
- AI in Marine, Tidal, and Ocean Sciences
- Language Models: Safe and Ethical AI applications
- Data security and governance frameworks
Consortium compliments Springboard’s AI roundtable and action plan
in 2024, Springboard Atlantic convened a Round Table on Artificial Intelligence, bringing together representatives from academia, industry, and government to discuss how Atlantic Canada can best prepare for the rapid rise of AI technologies.
Insights from that round table informed Springboard’s AI Action Plan, which outlines key priorities for the region, including building cross-sector collaborations, supporting commercialization of AI-driven innovations, developing talent and skills, and ensuring ethical AI practices.
Principal members of AI consortium
For more information contact AIARC: admin@aiarc.ca