Major research infrastructure investment positions Canada to lead on global innovation

More than $552 million will support cutting-edge tools and labs to accelerate discovery and economic growth

SHERBROOKE, Quebec, March 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the Government of Canada is investing more than $552 million through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to provide researchers with the high-impact equipment they need to strengthen Canada’s innovation capacity, deliver lasting benefits for Canadians and build economic resilience.

Karim Bardeesy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry, made the announcement at the Université de Sherbrooke on behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. The major investment, made through the CFI’s Innovation Fund, supports 92 research infrastructure projects at 32 higher education institutions across the country.

The Innovation Fund equips researchers to find solutions in areas that matter most to Canadians including healthcare, energy, food security, quantum technology and AI. It serves to not only invest in new infrastructure, but also to support and renew existing equipment and specialized research hubs, known as core facilities. These facilities are instrumental in attracting, retaining top researchers from across Canada and around the globe. They also maximize equipment use and foster collaborations across sectors and can provide valuable support to the private sector.

Projects being funded through the Innovation Fund include:

• Building Canada’s quantum ecosystem (British Columbia): The Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute (QMI) is a core facility at the University of British Columbia. With CFI support for new and upgraded tools, researchers will be better equipped to synthesize quantum materials, fabricate them into devices, then test and optimize them. Their work spans precision medicine, green energy, smart mining, information processing and climate solutions, including developing technologies for nerve repair, hydrogen fuel storage and advanced mining sensors. By training innovators and fostering collaboration, the Institute is working to scale and anchor these emerging industries in Canada.
  
• Powering microelectronics innovation from lab to market (Quebec): The Institut Interdisciplinaire d'Innovation Technologique (3IT) is a core facility at the Université de Sherbrooke. It houses one of the largest microelectronics research hubs in Canada accelerates the path from lab to market. The interdisciplinary lab has more than 700 users across several scientific disciplines in academia and the public and private sectors. CFI-funded equipment supports semiconductor commercialization enables innovations including more energy-efficient artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, safer medical technologies and monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions in remote areas such as Canada’s Far North.
  
• Evolving sustainable poultry farming (Saskatchewan): Responding to the needs of poultry farmers across Canada, the University of Saskatchewan’s new CFI-funded poultry research facility will be unique in North America. Canadian regulators are set to ban conventional cages by 2036 to improve bird welfare. While producers will need to change to free-run or free-range systems, more study is needed on how to use these systems most effectively. The new core facility will support field-leading work to improve animal welfare, increase productivity, mitigate the environmental impacts of the poultry industry, and promote consumer and bird health.
  
• Securing and shaping Canada’s ocean resources (Nova Scotia): The Ocean Tracking Network (OTN), a CFI-funded national research facility at Dalhousie University, will enhance their aquatic animal tracking systems with additional autonomous underwater vehicles co-developed with industry partners. These upgrades will increase capacity for near real-time monitoring of ocean ecosystems and marine life, supporting everything from fisheries management and conservation in a changing climate to marine spatial planning — all critical for advancing Canada’s current infrastructure priorities, including deep-sea and Arctic ports and renewable offshore energy sources like wind and tidal power.
  
• Enabling advanced materials breakthroughs with real-world impact (Ontario): The Canadian Neutron and Positron Beam Laboratory (CNBL) at the McMaster Nuclear Reactor offers the only access to neutron beams in Canada. These beams reveal internal material structures that other scientific tools simply can’t detect. With CFI-funded equipment at this core facility, research teams in partnership with industry are developing technologies to safely store nuclear fuel, capture carbon dioxide, innovate battery design and explore new superconducting materials for fusion energy, quantum processors and next-generation MRI technology.
  

The Honourable Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State for Rural Development, visited the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon today to tour the existing sustainable poultry farming project and highlight additional Saskatchewan projects receiving funding through the Innovation Fund.

Quote

“Canada is focused on investing in researchers and innovators to advance bold scientific breakthroughs as we build the kind of scientific and academic powerhouse that drives the strongest economy in the G7. This investment through the Canada Foundation for Innovation will equip researchers with cutting-edge, world class facilities that strengthen Canada’s research infrastructure, accelerate discoveries, drive researchers to take their work to the next level and create new opportunities that will benefit Canadians across industries.”

– The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada         Economic Development for Quebec Regions  

“Canada’s universities and research institutions are at the forefront of tackling global challenges and creating new economic opportunities. By investing in world-class research infrastructure, we’re ensuring that innovators across the country have the tools they need to advance discovery, collaborate across sectors and help build a stronger, more resilient Canadian economy.” 

– Karim Bardeesy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry 

“This significant investment through the CFI’s flagship Innovation Fund will help propel Canada forward by advancing innovation in areas critical to our future. By supporting state-of-the-art labs and equipment, this funding will foster collaboration, attract and train the next generation of talent and accelerate the commercialization of solutions that delivers real benefits for Canadians,”

– Sylvain Charbonneau, President and CEO, Canada Foundation for Innovation

Quick facts

• The Innovation Fund is one of the CFI’s flagship funding programs. It is open to Canadian universities, colleges, research hospitals and non-profit research institutions recognized as eligible by the CFI. Typically held every two years, Innovation Fund competitions support a broad range of research programs including those in natural sciences and engineering, health, social sciences, humanities and the arts, as well as interdisciplinary research.
• The 2025 Innovation Fund competition invited proposals in three streams:
  • Stream 1: Leading edge of exploration and knowledge generation
  • Stream 2: Leading edge of exploration and knowledge generation in the social sciences, humanities and arts
  • Stream 3: Creation, renewal and upgrade of core facilities.
• Projects supported through the Innovation Fund will also receive additional funding through the CFI’s Infrastructure Operating Fund (IOF) to cover the costs of operating the research infrastructure. The total investment of $552,117,309 million includes $127,411,689 million from the IOF.
• The CFI typically contributes up to 40 percent of a project’s research infrastructure costs. Research institutions secure the remaining 60 percent through partnerships with provincial and territorial governments, industry and other public, private and not-for-profit organizations.
• The 2027 Innovation Fund competition is set to launch this spring.

Associated links

• Learn more about the Canada Foundation for Innovation
• Find details on the CFI’s Innovation Fund

About the Canada Foundation for Innovation

With a bold, future-looking mandate, the Canada Foundation for Innovation equips researchers to be global leaders in their field and to respond to emerging challenges. Our investments in state-of-the-art tools, instruments and facilities at universities, colleges, research hospitals and non-profit research institutions underpin both curiosity- and mission-driven research that cuts across disciplines and bridges all sectors. The research infrastructure we fund mobilizes knowledge, spurs innovation and commercialization, and empowers the talented minds of a new generation.

Related products

A full list of our funded projects, as well as stories about the facilities we fund, is available at Innovation.ca. For updates, follow us on Bluesky, LinkedIn and X @InnovationCA and subscribe to our YouTube channel to find videos about the CFI and its transformative research projects.

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