Nokia and Hypertec deploy AI-powered supercomputer in Canada

Nokia and Hypertec deploy AI-powered supercomputer in Canada is profiled by BTW Media because public-source evidence links it to internet infrastructure, governance, operational dependencies, or market visibility.

• Nokia and Hypertec Group have commissioned the Nibi supercomputer at the University of Waterloo, integrating advanced AI and HPC infrastructure into Canada’s SHARCNET research network.
• The deployment expands high-performance computing capacity for research in health, climate science, engineering and AI, supporting over 4,000 researchers annually.

What happened: Nokia and Hypertec deliver advanced AI-HPC cluster for Canadian research

Nokia, a global leader in IP networking and AI-HPC data centre fabric, and Hypertec Group, a specialist in large-scale AI and high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure, have successfully deployed the Nibi supercomputer at the University of Waterloo on 22 January, 2026. The advanced system has been integrated into SHARCNET’s high-performance computing environment, the largest academic HPC consortium in Canada with 19 partner institutions.

The Nibi supercomputer is designed to support more than 4,000 researchers annually, substantially expanding Canada’s capacity for computational research across disciplines including health, climate science, engineering and artificial intelligence (AI). It represents Nokia’s first deployment in North America of this scale of AI-HPC networking and underscores a deepening strategic presence in the region.

The project leverages Nokia’s industry-leading Data Center Fabric and IP networking capabilities with Hypertec’s system design and integration expertise. Key technical innovations include advanced immersion cooling and an Ethernet-based interconnect that delivers scalable performance, reliability and efficiency needed for high-intensity research workloads.

University and industry leaders present at the launch emphasised the collaborative nature of the initiative. John Morton, Director of Technology at SHARCNET, said the combined solution delivers the performance and scalability required for demanding research tasks. Mike Marracino, President of Hypertec Solutions Partner, highlighted that the deployment demonstrates Canada’s capability to design and operate globally competitive AI research infrastructure.

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Why it’s important

For technology companies, research institutions and network providers, the Nibi deployment marks a significant milestone in scaling AI-ready computing infrastructure outside traditional hyperscale cloud environments. By combining Nokia’s advanced networking fabric with Hypertec’s HPC expertise, the project showcases how integrated AI-HPC clusters can accelerate research outcomes and support innovation in critical sectors such as health, climate and engineering.

The integration into SHARCNET not only enhances Canada’s sovereign computational capacity but also signals a broader industry trend towards AI-centric supercomputing platforms that deliver both high performance and energy-efficient operation. For vendors, this underscores growing demand for data centre networking solutions that can support large-scale AI and research workloads in academic and enterprise settings alike.