Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care

09/25/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/25/2026 08:02

Ontario Protecting Workers by Investing in the Jobs of the Future

Share

Content

TORONTO - The Ontario government is investing $30 million in the Vector Institute, a globally recognized non-profit organization dedicated to research in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), to advance the responsible adoption of AI across the province's leading industries and unlock new, job-creating opportunities for Ontario's world-class STEM and AI talent pipeline. By supporting Ontario's homegrown talent, the Vector Institute will deliver on the government's plan to protect Ontario's digital sovereignty and build a more competitive, resilient and self-reliant workforce with the capacity to strengthen the province's leadership in North America's tech market.

"As AI continues to reshape the global economy, Ontario holds a position of strength, equipped with the talent, research capacity and industry expertise needed to enhance our digital sovereignty and seize the generational job opportunities at hand," said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. "The Vector Institute has long stood at the heart of Ontario's AI ecosystem, and through the Critical Technologies Initiative, we are proud to support their ongoing work to bridge the adoption gap and strengthen our future workforce."

Delivered through Ontario's Critical Technologies Initiative (CTI) program, the investment will enable the Vector Institute to leverage its world-class AI engineers and researchers to help Canadian companies and organizations successfully integrate and deploy AI across their operations. By bridging the gap between academic discovery and industry adoption, the Vector Institute will support the province's ongoing work to enhance responsible AI implementation that advances cutting-edge research into competitive advantages.

"Ontario's AI ecosystem is one of the world's largest economic drivers for growth and innovation," said Vijay Thanigasalam, Associate Minister of Artificial Intelligence Adoption. "The Ontario government continues to invest in responsible AI adoption across all sectors and create new jobs and opportunities for everyone in Ontario."

As part of Budget 2026, the province dedicated an additional $107 million to renew support for the CTI program and accelerate the development, commercialization and adoption of critical technologies in key sectors. The Vector Institute is the first recipient of the revamped CTI program, which will enable the institute to continue strengthening Ontario's position as an AI leader, with a strong emphasis on nurturing top talent and developing the next generation of AI workers.

"We thank the Government of Ontario for this important investment in the province's AI future. It will accelerate our ability to move AI from the lab into the broader economy," said Glenda Crisp, President & CEO, Vector Institute. "By supporting Vector's work to drive enterprise adoption and retain top talent, the province is ensuring Ontario remains a globally competitive destination for AI innovation and job creation."

As Ontario continues to navigate the impacts of U.S. tariffs and global economic uncertainty, the government remains focused on delivering critical funding, cutting red tape and positioning the economy to be more competitive, resilient and investment-ready across priority sectors. Critical technologies like AI will serve as one of the many tools Ontario companies can leverage across a wide range of sectors to increase productivity, open new revenue streams, create highly skilled jobs and enhance global competitiveness.

Quick Facts

  • The 2026 Ontario Budget committed an additional $107 million to renew the Critical Technology Initiatives program, supporting the development and adoption of new technologies across Ontario.
  • CTI applications continue to be assessed with additional successful projects to be announced in the future.
  • Since 2023, a total of $214 million has been committed to the CTI program that has helped retain and create over 65,000 jobs, train over 14,000 highly skilled workers and led to the generation of over 700 new intellectual properties in the province.
  • Canada ranks first among G7 countries in AI talent growth, due in large measure to Ontario's strong and growing concentration of AI experts, including over 1,600 AI firms.
  • Ontario produces more than 94,000 STEM graduates annually, including 1,100 AI master's graduates, making it one of the most highly skilled workforces in the world.
  • AI adoption is projected to add $122 billion to Ontario's cumulative real GDP by 2035 and create an average of 17,600 new jobs annually.
  • A globally recognized non-profit organization based in Toronto the Vector Institute, is home to over 1,400 researchers, 41 Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) AI Chairs, and 119 post-doctoral fellows.

Quotes

"In the face of economic uncertainty, our government is moving quickly to leverage Ontario's robust pipeline of AI talent. This investment will ensure that Vector Institute can continue driving breakthrough innovations in Ontario's booming AI sector while building the highly skilled workforce we need to support the most competitive economy in the G7."

- Nolan Quinn
Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security

Related Topics

Business and economy

Information about Ontario's economy and how to do business here. Includes economic development opportunities, research funding, tax credits for business and the Ontario Budget. Learn more

Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care published this content on September 25, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 25, 2026 at 14:02 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]