At the forefront of global AI innovation
Greater Montréal has long been recognized as one of the world’s most dynamic AI hubs, offering cutting-edge research, highly skilled talent and a collaborative business environment.
Whether you are a global tech leader or a fast-growing startup, the city provides the ideal conditions to develop, test and scale artificial intelligence solutions.
Montréal: A birthplace of artificial intelligence
Montréal holds a unique place in the history and evolution of artificial intelligence.
A pioneer in deep learning, the city quickly turned into a global centre of excellence, driven by world-renowned researchers and a strong culture of open, collaborative research.
Today, Montréal goes beyond advancing research by turning breakthroughs into real-world applications for businesses.
- Globally recognized expertise in machine learning and deep learning
- A high concentration of researchers, students and specialized talent
- World-class academic institutions, including Université de Montréal, McGill University, Polytechnique Montréal and HEC Montréal
- Leadership from pioneers such as Yoshua Bengio, Joëlle Pineau, Irina Rish, Doina Precup, Christopher Pal, Aaron Courville and Gregory Dudek
Why invest in AI in Montréal?
In 2016, Montréal joined a select group of cities hosting a Google Brain Lab (now Google DeepMind). Leaders such as Microsoft, Meta and Samsung followed suit. These major investments helped drive a wave of international investment and firmly position Greater Montréal as a leading AI destination.
Key facts
Yoshua Bengio: A pioneer in artificial intelligence
A global leader in artificial intelligence, Yoshua Bengio is widely recognized as one of the pioneers of deep learning. His groundbreaking work earned him the 2018 A.M. Turing Award (often referred to as the “Nobel Prize of Computing”) alongside Geoffrey Hinton and Yann LeCun.
A full professor at Université de Montréal and founder of Mila – Québec Artificial Intelligence Institute, he plays a central role in Montréal’s international leadership in AI.
His scientific influence is widely acknowledged: he is among the most cited researchers worldwide and has received numerous prestigious distinctions, including the Killam Prize.
Beyond his research contributions, Yoshua Bengio is a strong advocate for responsible AI. He contributed to the Montréal Declaration for the Responsible Development of Artificial Intelligence and serves as co-president and scientific director of LawZero.
They chose Montréal
Mila, Québec Artificial Intelligence Institute
Mila is a global centre for deep learning research that brings together the largest concentration of academics in the field. Located in Montréal’s Mile-Ex neighbourhood, the institute plays a key role in:
- Advancing cutting-edge AI research (language modeling, machine translation, object recognition, generative models)
- Bridging academia and industry
- Developing AI solutions tailored to organizations
- Advancing responsible AI governance
- Its open innovation culture makes is a powerful asset to attract international companies.
IVADO: For a robust and responsible AI
IVADO is an interdisciplinary, cross-sector consortium that plays a central role in advancing artificial intelligence in Montréal.
Led by Université de Montréal, in collaboration with Polytechnique Montréal, HEC Montréal, Université Laval and McGill University, IVADO brings together research centres, government partners and industry players around a shared vision.
Through its initiatives, IVADO helps to:
- Advance robust, reasoning and responsible AI
- Train the next generation of highly skilled talent
- Accelerate knowledge transfer to industry
- Support high-impact collaborative projects
By bridging academia and industry, IVADO fosters the development of innovative solutions and contributes to the sustained adoption of AI across organizations.
Scale AI: Canada’s global AI innovation cluster
Based in Montréal, Scale AI is Canada’s AI cluster, focused on accelerating AI adoption across industries.
Through its initiatives, Scale AI helps to:
- Optimize value chains to drive productivity gains
- Foster the creation of intellectual property and business opportunities
- Boost competitiveness by accelerating the integration of innovative solutions
- Promote the responsible use of AI technologies
By connecting companies, research centres and technology partners, Scale AI enables organizations to move quickly from experimentation to large-scale deployment.
From research to commercialization
The proximity between universities, research centres and businesses fosters collaboration, accelerates technology transfer and supports the commercialization of innovative solutions on a global scale.
As a result, Montréal serves as a prime testing ground for AI across key industries, including:
- Aerospace and defence
- Life sciences and health technologies
- Financial technologies (fintech)
- Clean technologies
- Creative industries
Montréal is also home to ALL IN, Canada’s leading artificial intelligence event, bringing together decision-makers, investors, researchers and companies to turn innovation into concrete business opportunities and partnerships.
Our contribution goes well beyond financial support. We support Québec in its digital transformation, building deep and lasting relationships and cultivating a world-renowned innovation ecosystem.
Fabrice Jaubert
Site Lead, Google Montréal
Accelerate your business success in Montréal
Montréal International supports companies free of charge at every stage of their investment or expansion project:
- Market intelligence and opportunity analysis
- Connections with key partners and the local ecosystem
- Site selection support (including comparative data)
- Guidance on funding opportunities
- Access to a dedicated Canadian immigration team
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