Dr. Stephen Lucas
CEO,
Mitacs
Dr. Shabnam Haghzare
AI Lead,
Mitacs
Nicole Janssen
Co-Founder & Co-CEO,
AltaML
Dr. Valérie Bécaert
Senior Director,
AI Research Group, ServiceNow
AI is transforming lives by boosting productivity, tackling climate change, and advancing healthcare, but scaling requires talent, funding, and connections.
Acting as a pivotal connector and leader in Canada’s AI ecosystem, Mitacs’s unique formula involves harnessing strategic connections, skilled talent, and financial support in order to scale faster and fully realize the benefits of AI. Over the past five years, Mitacs has supported more than 3,000 AI-related projects and 15,000 internships, while investing over $200 million in AI research and development.
“Canadian investment in AI innovation isn’t new, nor is our research and development ecosystem’s ability to leverage partnerships for outstanding results. But the true key to our success is our ability to collaborate — channelling government support and funding, connecting research talent with enterprise, and, critically, supporting the relationships between innovation organizations themselves,” says Dr. Stephen Lucas, CEO of Mitacs. “We couldn’t be successful today without strong connections to other organizations like the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, for example. The innovation ecosystem in Canada is only as strong as its partnerships.”
Making AI adoption accessible
Mitacs has created targeted programs to address key barriers, including skills gaps, high costs, and ethical concerns. “We thrive on partnerships and cross-sector collaboration,” says Dr. Shabnam Haghzare, AI Lead at Mitacs. “Businesses need knowledge-sharing initiatives to understand how AI can address specific challenges, a workforce equipped with the skills necessary for AI implementation, and tools and frameworks to adopt AI responsibly. Mitacs can assist with these needs.”
Innovation in AI and digital technology is vital for closing Canada’s productivity gap and securing its global competitiveness. Sectors like clean technology, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing are already seeing exponential growth in AI adoption, which directly contributes to job creation, economic resilience, and sustainable development.
By enhancing decision-making, automating routine tasks, and developing cutting-edge solutions, AI enables industries to operate more efficiently and effectively. With its cross-sector reach, Mitacs ensures these benefits extend to all industries, including traditional ones, fostering equitable economic growth and national prosperity.
The best-kept secret
The multi-layered approach and ecosystem-centric model utilized by Mitacs is accelerating AI innovation while addressing adoption barriers. Mitacs collaborates with over 117 academic institutions and 1,500 enterprises, with its programs bridging research and industry needs. The ecosystem it’s building connects innovators, talent, and resources while enabling small- and medium-sized businesses and multi-national enterprises to adopt cutting-edge AI. By engaging with international partners, Mitacs is also enhancing Canada’s AI leadership. And with a focus on small- and medium-sized businesses, Mitacs is democratizing access to innovation and talent.
AltaML, an Edmonton-based applied AI company, is an example of the Mitacs approach in action. With 76 Mitacs-funded interns having developed business-ready skills at AltaML, the talent in the ecosystem is increasing. “The partnership with Mitacs has been incredibly important,” says Nicole Janssen, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of AltaML. “Not only do our clients see value, it’s gratifying knowing we’re part of the talent development. The interns we’ve had are doing exceptional things.”
AltaML works with organizations to build custom solutions and has an in-house venture studio that brings together talent, AI and machine learning expertise, and capital to accelerate the growth of applied AI startups. In addition, GovLab.ai, a collaboration between AltaML, the Government of Alberta, and Mitacs, was founded to accelerate digital transformation in the public sector. Janssen adds that interns are often surprised at some of the exciting use cases for AI in the public sector, including wildfire prediction and reducing cancer treatment wait times. “Mitacs is the best-kept secret. They aren’t just looking to sell us on internships, but helping us succeed,” says Janssen. “I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to partner with them.”
Mitacs: Your competitive advantage
Organizations partnering with Mitacs report remarkable outcomes. According to Dr. Haghzare, small- and medium-sized businesses collaborating with the organization achieve an average 11 per cent improvement in labour productivity. Cutting-edge solutions, from AI-driven diagnostics in healthcare to resource optimization in construction, are being made possible. And traditional sectors, such as agriculture and manufacturing, are able to adopt AI technologies that were previously out of reach, enhancing their global competitiveness.
Businesses need knowledge-sharing initiatives to understand how AI can address specific challenges, a workforce equipped with the skills necessary for AI implementation, and tools and frameworks to adopt AI responsibly. Mitacs can assist with these needs.
Another of those partnerships is with ServiceNow, which is helping organizations of every size, in every industry, to put AI to work by specializing in digital workflow automation to improve business operations. “We built a visiting researchers program to offer research internships in machine learning and AI to graduate students. The program welcomes over 30 candidates annually and most of them benefit from Mitacs funding,” says Dr. Valérie Bécaert, Senior Director of the AI Research Group at ServiceNow. “The impact Mitacs provides enables us to diversify our research portfolio by exploring more ambitious and forward-thinking projects, while also allowing us to delve deeper into broader, more comprehensive initiative.”
“For over 25 years, our partners have invested in and benefitted from Mitacs’s unique formula,” says Lucas. “By combining strategic connections, access to incredible talent, and much needed financial support, we’re creating the conditions to drive innovation — in the field of AI and beyond.”
Learn how Mitacs is making AI adoption accessible and impactful at mitacs.ca.
