Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, announced on Thursday that Canada "will now be part of this network" and confirmed that the two sides are discussing the country's entry into the European supercomputing network.
Development of AI Data Centers
This collaboration also includes the establishment of seven large AI data centers, known as AI gigafactories, which are set to be built next year with a total investment cost of 30 billion euros. These centers will serve as key hubs for data processing and the development of artificial intelligence-based technologies.
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Experts' Response to Canada-EU Collaboration
Experts view this collaboration as a positive opportunity for uniting computational power between the European Union and Canada, but warn that this is just the beginning. Anton Licht, a researcher in technology and international relations at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, stated: "Collaboration in computing is one of the clearest opportunities for cooperation among middle powers in the field of artificial intelligence."
However, he added that currently this collaboration "will not impact the actual dependency" on the United States. Licht noted: "As long as the United States builds large-scale gigawatt clusters, no amount of collaboration that does not lead to large constructions will help." This points to the existing challenges in the technology industry and indicates that to compete globally, there is a need for investment and development of larger infrastructures.
Background of Canada-EU Collaboration
Canada's participation in the European Union's supercomputing network is linked to its previous involvement in the EU's advanced research and development program, Horizon Europe. This program, which aims to promote scientific and research collaborations across Europe, allows Canada to participate in key and significant projects.
To date, 38 countries have joined the European Union's supercomputing network, including 27 EU member states and non-member countries such as Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Israel, and Turkey. This expansion of collaborations will benefit various countries and technological advancements globally.
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