SASKATOON — The University of Saskatchewan (USask), in partnership with the University of Calgary (UCalgary), is positioned to enhance Canada’s safety and security through quantum innovation.
The Government of Canada has selected UCalgary to host the Quantum Defence Innovation Secure Hub (DISH), with USask as a primary academic partner.
A Bureau of Research, Engineering and Advanced Leadership in Innovation and Science (BOREALIS) initiative, DISHs provide secure, collaborative spaces for government, industry, academia, the Canadian Armed Forces, and national security partners to advance technologies that support defence and security applications.
"This DISH – in which USask is a crucial player – is a massive boost for quantum science and innovation in Saskatchewan,” said Dr. Steven Rayan (PhD), director of the Centre for Quantum Topology and Its Applications (quanTA) and professor of mathematics and statistics in USask’s College of Arts and Science. “The DISH will enable USask researchers to work with their counterparts at UCalgary and in industry to securely and confidently develop unique quantum-driven solutions in direct support of Canada’s defence and sovereignty.”
The Quantum DISH builds on existing strengths of the two universities. USask has a strong quantum reputation with its quanTA Centre and through the acquisition of a new quantum computer this past March, the first of its kind in Canada. UCalgary has built a foundation of innovation through their Quantum City initiative and continued advocacy for Canada’s quantum strategy.
“By connecting the strengths of Alberta and Saskatchewan, this investment builds a Prairie quantum ecosystem that is uniquely positioned to serve Canada,” said USask President Vince Bruni-Bossio. “The University of Saskatchewan’s expertise in quantum applications, supported by the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), the Canadian Light Source (CLS), the Sylvia Fedoruk Canadian Centre for Nuclear Innovation, and the Centre for Quantum Topology and Its Applications (quanTA), gives our region the ability to translate quantum science into real‑world impact. This is Prairie connectivity at its best — working together locally to bring our expertise to the world.”
The new DISH will include many partners, including Saskatoon's Calian Technologies. At USask, it will strengthen the universities' role in defence‑aligned research and will support the momentum behind major research that will elevate vaccine development, Canada’s space program and many other impact-driven discoveries.
