By Florian Hirzinger - www.fh-ap.com - Own work (Florian Hirzinger), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6212692www.hirzinger.cc
OTTAWA — With talk of data centres and digital sovereignty top of mind for many Canadians, Ottawa says more companies are signing on to a national framework aimed at guiding how new data centre projects are developed.
The federal government says 19 additional organizations have joined Canada’s Responsible Data Centre Development Principles, bringing the total number of signatories to 42.
The principles were launched Sept. 3 and set out five expectations for new data centre development.
Projects are expected to create lasting local benefits, protect electricity ratepayers, minimize water use and environmental impacts, be transparent about local effects and provide strategic value to Canada.
The latest signatories include AMD, IBM, Intel, Lenovo, NVIDIA, Schneider Electric, STACK Infrastructure and Vantage Data Centers, along with a number of energy, construction and technology companies.
Ottawa says the growing list reflects broader industry support for a common approach to building the digital infrastructure needed to support artificial intelligence and expand Canada’s domestic computing capacity.
Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation Minister Evan Solomon says the goal is to grow that infrastructure without shifting costs or other impacts onto communities.
“The industry is sending a clear message: Canada can build the digital infrastructure needed for AI growth while protecting communities, supporting ratepayers and delivering lasting economic benefits,” Solomon said.
“If we don’t build it here, we’ll have to buy it from someone else.”
The federal government says the principles are also intended to support its national AI strategy and efforts to expand sovereign AI infrastructure and computing capacity in Canada.
The number of signatories has nearly doubled since the framework was introduced, rising from 23 organizations to 42.
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