March 16, 2026 -- The UBC Blusson Quantum Matter Institute (UBC Blusson QMI) Core Facilities will be equipped with new and upgraded tools thanks to new investment from the Government of Canada under the Canada Foundation for Innovation/Fondation canadienne pour l’innovation (CFI).

Karim Bardeesy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry, made the announcement at the Université de Sherbrooke on behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. The $552 million investment supports 92 research infrastructure projects at 32 higher education institutions across the country, including UBC Blusson QMI.

“Canada’s universities and research institutions are at the forefront of tackling global challenges and creating new economic opportunities. By investing in world-class research infrastructure, we’re ensuring that innovators across the country have the tools they need to advance discovery, collaborate across sectors and help build a stronger, more resilient Canadian economy,” said Karim Bardeesy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry.

UBC Blusson QMI Core Facilities offer unique capabilities that enable a complete quantum innovation cycle, right here in British Columbia, transforming fundamental discoveries into breakthrough technologies. With CFI support for new and upgraded tools, researchers will be better equipped to synthesize quantum materials, fabricate them into devices, then test and optimize them.

“For us at UBC Blusson QMI, this investment is really a major game-changer. It provides us with resources not just to build infrastructure, but to operate them. Over the last decade, our Institute has experienced a major leap from being a world-leader in fundamental research to a hub for technology supporting a local ecosystem which brings together academia and the private sector,” said Andrea Damascelli, UBC Blusson QMI Investigator and lead for this grant.

“A challenge facing QMI Core Facilities has been retaining the scientific and technical staff who maintain and operate the highly specialized infrastructure. Now this funding allows us to retain those incredible world-class staff who are really the driving force behind all our training and partnership activities,” Damascelli said.

Core Facilities are instrumental in attracting top researchers from across Canada and around the globe. They also maximize equipment use, foster collaborations across sectors, and can provide valuable support to the private sector.

“The funding is timely as we explore dual-use capabilities responding to Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy and offer new, highly specialized, and critical infrastructure to users from across academia, industry, and government,” said Pinder Dosanjh, UBC Blusson QMI Facilities Director. “It also directly supports our staff scientists, allowing us to maintain a critical resource.”

Dosanjh is also Director of the British Columbia node of the Quantum Co-laboratory, a national partnership linking Canada’s leading quantum research institutes, including the University of Calgary’s Institute for Quantum Science and Technology (IQST), the University of Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC), Université de Sherbrooke’s Institut quantique and the University of British Columbia’s Blusson Quantum Matter Institute (UBC Blusson QMI).

The Quantum Co-laboratory connects specialized infrastructure and expertise across these institutions to support quantum technology development and training in Canada. The partnership recently entered a second five-year term.