The Greater Montreal Area is becoming a prime data-centre development hub, according to commercial real estate experts who specialize in the sector.

As a result, digital-infrastructure and AI developers now regard the GMA as a prime destination for potential projects, along with key research and innovation. The GMA’s advantages will be the topic of a panel discussion at the Connect North American Investment in Digital Infrastructure & AI conference in the Montreal.

According to the panelists, the GMA ranks among the top three regions in North America for AI research and the top five globally for AI research. And, the GMA leads the world in the number of independent researchers.

However, the market is less developed when it comes to applied AI research. And, although a braintrust exists, more data-centre development projects and buildouts are happening in the U.S.

But, the panelists say, future GMA data-centre, digital-infrastructure initiatives stand to gain from the region’s highly educated population, well-trained electricians and mechanical workers, higher productivity compared to other provinces and faster construction of higher-quality projects, as well as superior construction-safety statistics.

Specific advantages include the availability of experienced technicians for maintenance and operations; talent that can oversee and project’s full lifecycle from design to construction to operations.

The GMA is also expected to benefit from Prime Minister Mark Carney’s remarks highlighting Canadian AI potential at the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland; the federal government’s focus on ensuring AI data sovereignty; and its strategic positioning sovereign cloud-computing infrastructure.

The GMA’s data-centre hub is also expected to serve diverse industries ranging from healthcare and medicine to aviation and aerospace to life sciences, clean technology and gaming/entertainment.

But potential political risks, particularly an upcoming provincial election and the chance of a referendum on Quebec’s separation from Canada; government-related projects facing delays; Canadian-American trade tensions; and U.S. government limits on NVIDIA microchip exports, pose uncertainty.

Nareg Rezian, chief operating officer for data-centre commissioning consultancy Adag Group, will moderate the panel discussion. The panelists will include Michael Bucheit of Metro Optic; Benoit Dalinval of leading investment, development and construction firm Pomerleau and Mark Maclean of economic development agency Montreal Intertational.

The one-day conference will be held at the Allied REIT Meeting Space.

Photo: Shutterstock

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