VMware VMW, a leading innovator in enterprise software, today announced the opening of the VMware Next G-AI Research and Innovation Centre. The Centre will bring together VMware's multi-cloud infrastructure, advanced networking, and Modern Application Development expertise with the latest in emerging Cloud Native development techniques, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies to deliver a sustainable path to 5G+ and 6G technologies.
Today, VMware Canada officially opens the Next G-AI Research & Innovation Centre in Montreal, Quebec.
"Montreal has one of the most significant clusters of AI researchers in the world, as well as a thriving community of innovative startups," said Kit Colbert, Chief Technology Officer, VMware. "Through partnerships with researchers, startups and industry partners, we will be able to bring together cloud, networking and AI to build 6G technologies that are sustainable and centered on human needs."
The Next G-AI Research and Innovation Centre is part of the TETRA initiative. Located within Centech and éTS in Montreal, it supports three connected programs:
- Applied Research: In partnership with Mitacs, VMware is working with researchers across Canada to develop sustainable 5G+ and 6G technologies, improve digital equity and rearchitect the Internet to an Open Grid.
- Next G-AI Research & Innovation Lab: The Research & Innovation Lab provides researchers and industry partners with access to cutting-edge software and hardware that allows them to quickly validate and demonstrate key concepts.
- Modern Application Software Factory: The VMware Tanzu Modern Software Factory provides VMware customers and partners with access to VMware Tanzu solutions and open-source technologies. The offering will comprise, Spring and .Net development expertise and tools, developer accelerators, automated container build service, support for any Kubernetes conformant run time along with the ability to build, run and manage software supply chains that deliver on the 5S promise of (speed, stability, savings, security, scalability).
Through partnerships with Mitacs, Centech and the IEEE, VMware will also provide selected researchers and startups access to both the Next G-AI Innovation Lab and Modern Application Software Factory.
"The Next G-AI Research and Innovation Centre will enable local, national and international research collaboration, and contribute significantly to the Montreal innovation ecosystem," said John Hepburn, CEO of Mitacs. "We are proud to support this critical research to develop 6G technologies, with a focus on ensuring that they are sustainable, equitable and will benefit Canadians across the country."
Partnership with Centech to Support Montreal Startups
Through the VMware Tanzu Modern Applications Software Factory, select partners and startups associated with Centech will have free access to Tanzu solutions and open-source technology. This set of enterprise-grade, platform-agnostic tools will allow participants to learn how to better build, deliver, and manage cloud native apps designed to run on any Kubernetes on-premises, in the public cloud or edge environments.
"Having access to the VMware Tanzu technology is an incredible advantage for our entrepreneurs," said Richard Chenier, Director General, Centech. "Access to these powerful tools will allow startups to swiftly deploy modern applications, significantly speeding time to market and enabling them to be deployed in any environment."
Addressing the Digital Divide
VMware, Mitacs and the IEEE Future Networks Initiative also announced the first Canadian-specific prize category in the Connecting the Unconnected Challenge, which seeks novel solutions for universal and affordable internet access.
"The Internet is a critical access point to education, economic opportunity, and health information and services," said Mary Ward-Callan, Managing Director, Technical Activities, IEEE. "However, nearly half of the world remains unconnected. Through our partnership with VMware and Mitacs, we're looking to work with Canadian competitors interested in tackling this critical humanitarian issue."
The 2023 Challenge will kick-off in spring 2023, including the challenge specifically dedicated for Canadian researchers that has been jointly developed by the IEEE, VMware and Mitacs.
The Honorable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry of Canada, welcomed the opening of the VMware Next G-AI Research and Innovation Centre, adding, "Canada is a global leader in great talent, especially in emerging areas of technology like artificial intelligence and machine learning. This investment will further strengthen our ability to tackle some of the most important challenges facing our society, including the resilience of our communications network, and ultimately support Canadians across the country."
"With some of the top researchers and a pool of more than 27,000 highly qualified talents, Montréal's world-renowned expertise in artificial intelligence has a lot to offer to develop sustainable and accessible 5G+ and 6G technologies," said Stéphane Paquet, President and CEO, Montréal International.
"The past two and a half years have shown us how reliable internet connections are vital to our well-being. This new Research and Innovation Centre puts our metropolis, once again, on the map as a city where knowledge and talent are dedicated to responding to pressing issues with the highest standards of quality."
"VMware's decision to establish its Next G-AI Research and Innovation Centre in Quebec demonstrates the attractiveness and expertise of Quebec in the technology sector. The Investissement Québec International teams are proud to have supported and guided VMware in the development of their project. The establishment of the Centre will advance important research towards 6G networks and provide opportunities for Quebec startups to test and develop their technology," said Hubert Bolduc, President of Investissement Québec International.