Digital & AI
Canada joins EuroHPC as a Participating State
Agreed at the EU–Canada Summit in Montreal, the move opens Europe's public supercomputing, AI and quantum resources to Canada.
Key facts
- Announced
- 30 October 2026, EU–Canada Summit, Montreal
- New status
- Canada is a Participating State in the EuroHPC JU
- EuroHPC JU network
- 12 supercomputers procured, 19 AI Factories, 13 AI Factory Antennas
- Governing board
- European Commission and 39 Participating States
- Horizon Europe link
- Canada associated since 2024
- Legal basis of wider mandate
- Council Regulation (EU) 2026/150
Canada became a Participating State in the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) on 30 October 2026, during the EU–Canada Summit in Montreal. The step gives Canada use of the joint undertaking's high-performance computing, AI and quantum resources, and lets Canadian scientists work alongside European counterparts.
The two sides say they want closer cooperation across supercomputing, AI infrastructure and quantum technology, with a view to developing scientific applications and raising the innovation potential of companies. It builds on research cooperation going back to 1996; Canada has also been associated with Horizon Europe since 2024.
EuroHPC JU has so far procured 12 supercomputers, oversees 19 AI Factories and 13 AI Factory Antennas, and is deploying a European quantum computing infrastructure. The European Commission and 39 Participating States sit on its governing board, and Council Regulation (EU) 2026/150 extended its mandate to AI Gigafactories and quantum technologies.
The summit produced related digital outcomes: Destination Earth will take on Canadian cooperation in AI-powered climate modelling, and the parties discussed Arctic connectivity and the interoperability of EU and Canadian digital identities.
Why it matters
For consortia in AI, HPC and quantum, Canadian partners now sit closer to the same compute ecosystem as their European counterparts, on top of the existing Horizon Europe association. That can make EU–Canada collaboration more practical to design into a proposal. Applicants should still check the access rules and eligibility conditions of each specific call before building a work plan around EuroHPC resources.
Official source
European Commission – Shaping Europe's digital future — always check eligibility, budgets and deadlines on the official page before applying.