Nokia and Hypertec Deploy Nibi Supercomputer in Canada, Marking Key AI-HPC Infrastructure Milestone
January 28, 2026
In a significant move to bolster Canada's sovereign research and artificial intelligence capabilities, Nokia and Hypertec have completed the deployment of the Nibi supercomputer at the University of Waterloo. This project represents Nokia's first North American deployment of its AI-HPC data center networking class and underscores a strategic push to build advanced, domestic research infrastructure using both local and global expertise.
The newly operational system, integrated into Canada's largest high-performance computing (HPC) consortium, SHARCNET, is designed to support over 4,000 researchers annually. It will enhance computational capacity for critical fields including health sciences, climate research, engineering, and AI development. SHARCNET, comprising 19 academic partners, provides essential computing power to faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and students across the nation.
John Morton, Director of Technology at SHARCNET, highlighted the technical shift, stating, “With the Nibi supercomputer, we made the move to an Ethernet-based interconnect and the combined solution delivered by Hypertec and Nokia proved to be a perfect fit.” The infrastructure leverages Nokia’s Data Center Fabric and IP networking, combined with Hypertec’s system design and immersion-cooling capabilities, to deliver the scalability, reliability, and performance required for demanding workloads.
Mike Marracino, President of Hypertec Solutions Partner, emphasized the project's national significance: “This collaboration with Nokia proves that Canada can design and deploy AI and high-performance computing infrastructure at the highest global standards.” He added that bringing this capability to SHARCNET provides Canadian researchers with world-class tools and strengthens the country's competitive edge in advanced research.
The deployment aligns with Nokia's broader ambitions in the Canadian technology sector. The company, which employs more than 2,700 people in the country, is also developing a new 750,000-square-foot campus in Ottawa focused on 6G, AI-powered networks, and quantum-safe systems. For the University of Waterloo, the supercomputer significantly expands its capacity for advanced computational research. Charmaine Dean, Vice-President of Research at the university, noted that the partnership provides access to infrastructure that “combines scalable system design with high-performance Ethernet networking, advancing the next generation of Canadian research.”
Jeff Maddox, President of Nokia Canada, called the project key to “maintaining Canada’s global leadership in computer science and innovation in the AI era,” signaling expectations for future collaborative ventures with Hypertec, SHARCNET, and academic institutions.
Source: datacentremagazine
