Latest news with #EconomicDevelopmentLethbridge
Global News
5 days ago
- Business
- Global News
‘Tech is booming': Canada's first quantum computing hub boots up in southern Alberta
Businesses in southern Alberta are getting the chance to try out a publicly accessible supercomputer. A quantum computing hub, created by SuperQ Quantum Computing, recently opened at the Tecconnect innovation centre at Economic Development Lethbridge. SuperQ founder Muhammad Khan says the platform called Super is web-based and, similarly to ChatGPT, allows users to ask about complex real-world problems in plain English and come up with all possible solutions simultaneously. Problems could include supply chain bottlenecks or manufacturing inefficiencies. 'The way it does it is by combining classical computing with quantum computing and doing all the complexity stuff under the hood,' Khan told The Canadian Press in a recent interview. 'Classical computing is what we use everyday on our computers, on our laptops. 'Classical computing would take one route, and if it fails, it comes back and takes another route. Whereas quantum computing takes all the possible routes at the same time. And as a result, it is able to figure out the maze a lot faster.' Story continues below advertisement Businesses in the city southwest of Calgary can trial the technology by asking questions like how to find efficient delivery routes or how to schedule staff to minimize overtime, Khan said. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Super is to eventually be made available to the broader public by licence. The Lethbridge Super hub is the first in a series of planned networks worldwide. Other locations are set to be established elsewhere in Canada, the United States, Europe, India and the United Arab Emirates. Khan said setting up the platform's nucleus in Lethbridge is a full-circle moment. 'I have a deep affection for Tecconnect as my entrepreneurial journey started there,' Khan said, adding the centre has helped facilitate emerging technologies in Alberta and Canada. 'That appetite to promote emerging technologies with a business focus is something that is not very common. And if you go to the big centres, it's hard to bring about these programs.' Renae Barlow, vice-president of entrepreneurship and innovation at Economic Development Lethbridge, said emerging technologies, such as Tecconnect, can keep businesses competitive. Local teams are offering workshops and training to help companies learn more about the platform, she said. 'Having businesses understand why it's important for them to integrate this (technology) and to be on the leading edge and to really create that competitive advantage is what we wanted for our southern Alberta businesses,' Barlow said. Story continues below advertisement 'To understand that this actually puts them ahead.' Khan said some businesses in telehealth have also reached out about using the platform to build artificial intelligence doctors. 'Their human doctors couldn't keep up with the demand,' he said. 'So that was done, but then the question was, 'How do you increase the accuracy of those AI clinicians?' And this is where we came in, and the Super platform came in to take those AI models to the next level.' Barlow said there's been other interest in things like understanding global markets and even determining nutritional values for cattle. The hub is also getting noticed by government officials. Nate Glubish, Alberta's minister of technology and innovation, highlighted the hub on social media. 'Alberta tech is booming,' he said.
CTV News
5 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
‘Tech is booming': Canada's first quantum computing hub boots up in southern Alberta
A new quantum super hub launched by Economic Development Lethbridge is helping to make Lethbridge a national leader in advanced computing. Businesses in southern Alberta are getting the chance to try out a publicly accessible supercomputer. A quantum computing hub, created by SuperQ Quantum Computing, recently opened at the Tecconnect innovation centre at Economic Development Lethbridge. SuperQ founder Muhammad Khan says the platform called Super is web-based and, similarly to ChatGPT, allows users to ask about complex real-world problems in plain English and come up with all possible solutions simultaneously. Problems could include supply chain bottlenecks or manufacturing inefficiencies. 'The way it does it is by combining classical computing with quantum computing and doing all the complexity stuff under the hood,' Khan told The Canadian Press in a recent interview. 'Classical computing is what we use everyday on our computers, on our laptops. 'Classical computing would take one route, and if it fails, it comes back and takes another route. Whereas quantum computing takes all the possible routes at the same time. And as a result, it is able to figure out the maze a lot faster.' Businesses in the city southwest of Calgary can trial the technology by asking questions like how to find efficient delivery routes or how to schedule staff to minimize overtime, Khan said. Super is to eventually be made available to the broader public by licence. The Lethbridge Super hub is the first in a series of planned networks worldwide. Other locations are set to be established elsewhere in Canada, the United States, Europe, India and the United Arab Emirates. Khan said setting up the platform's nucleus in Lethbridge is a full-circle moment. 'I have a deep affection for Tecconnect as my entrepreneurial journey started there,' Khan said, adding the centre has helped facilitate emerging technologies in Alberta and Canada. 'That appetite to promote emerging technologies with a business focus is something that is not very common. And if you go to the big centres, it's hard to bring about these programs.' Renae Barlow, vice-president of entrepreneurship and innovation at Economic Development Lethbridge, said emerging technologies, such as Tecconnect, can keep businesses competitive. Local teams are offering workshops and training to help companies learn more about the platform, she said. 'Having businesses understand why it's important for them to integrate this (technology) and to be on the leading edge and to really create that competitive advantage is what we wanted for our southern Alberta businesses,' Barlow said. 'To understand that this actually puts them ahead.' Khan said some businesses in telehealth have also reached out about using the platform to build artificial intelligence doctors. 'Their human doctors couldn't keep up with the demand,' he said. 'So that was done, but then the question was, 'How do you increase the accuracy of those AI clinicians?' And this is where we came in, and the Super platform came in to take those AI models to the next level.' Barlow said there's been other interest in things like understanding global markets and even determining nutritional values for cattle. The hub is also getting noticed by government officials. Nate Glubish, Alberta's minister of technology and innovation, highlighted the hub on social media. 'Alberta tech is booming,' he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 2, 2025. — By Aaron Sousa in Edmonton
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘Tech is booming': Canada's first quantum computing hub boots up in southern Alberta
LETHBRIDGE – Businesses in southern Alberta are getting the chance to try out a publicly accessible supercomputer. A quantum computing hub, created by SuperQ Quantum Computing, recently opened at the Tecconnect innovation centre at Economic Development Lethbridge. SuperQ founder Muhammad Khan says the platform called Super is web-based and, similarly to ChatGPT, allows users to ask about complex real-world problems in plain English and come up with all possible solutions simultaneously. Problems could include supply chain bottlenecks or manufacturing inefficiencies. 'The way it does it is by combining classical computing with quantum computing and doing all the complexity stuff under the hood,' Khan told The Canadian Press in a recent interview. 'Classical computing is what we use everyday on our computers, on our laptops. 'Classical computing would take one route, and if it fails, it comes back and takes another route. Whereas quantum computing takes all the possible routes at the same time. And as a result, it is able to figure out the maze a lot faster.' Businesses in the city southwest of Calgary can trial the technology by asking questions like how to find efficient delivery routes or how to schedule staff to minimize overtime, Khan said. Super is to eventually be made available to the broader public by licence. The Lethbridge Super hub is the first in a series of planned networks worldwide. Other locations are set to be established elsewhere in Canada, the United States, Europe, India and the United Arab Emirates. Khan said setting up the platform's nucleus in Lethbridge is a full-circle moment. 'I have a deep affection for Tecconnect as my entrepreneurial journey started there,' Khan said, adding the centre has helped facilitate emerging technologies in Alberta and Canada. 'That appetite to promote emerging technologies with a business focus is something that is not very common. And if you go to the big centres, it's hard to bring about these programs.' Renae Barlow, vice-president of entrepreneurship and innovation at Economic Development Lethbridge, said emerging technologies, such as Tecconnect, can keep businesses competitive. Local teams are offering workshops and training to help companies learn more about the platform, she said. 'Having businesses understand why it's important for them to integrate this (technology) and to be on the leading edge and to really create that competitive advantage is what we wanted for our southern Alberta businesses,' Barlow said. 'To understand that this actually puts them ahead.' Khan said some businesses in telehealth have also reached out about using the platform to build artificial intelligence doctors. 'Their human doctors couldn't keep up with the demand,' he said. 'So that was done, but then the question was, 'How do you increase the accuracy of those AI clinicians?' And this is where we came in, and the Super platform came in to take those AI models to the next level.' Barlow said there's been other interest in things like understanding global markets and even determining nutritional values for cattle. Wednesdays What's next in arts, life and pop culture. The hub is also getting noticed by government officials. Nate Glubish, Alberta's minister of technology and innovation, highlighted the hub on social media. 'Alberta tech is booming,' he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 2, 2025. — By Aaron Sousa in Edmonton
CTV News
12-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Southern Albertans still wrapping heads around latest tariff threat
The United States is again threatening Canada with tariffs. It's unclear what impact this latest trade-war turn might have on southern Alberta. United States President Donald Trump has threatened to slap Canada with a 35 per cent tariff starting Aug. 1. That moves back a deadline of July 21 that was set during the G7 Leaders' Summit to hammer out a new trade deal. Southern Albertans are still wrapping their heads around what this might mean for the region. 'About 90 per cent of Lethbridge is manufacturing products that are exported to the United States, so obviously, any tariff is a huge concern,' said Trevor Lewington, Economic Development Lethbridge CEO. It's the latest wrinkle in a tumultuous trade war between the two countries. The tariffs would only impact goods that aren't compliant with the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement. Some see the new tariffs as nothing more than a negotiation tactic. 'I hope that this is just a negotiating tactic, very similar to Trump's sort of historical style, and, you know, hopefully the Canadian government will be able to move through this and come to an agreement with them,' said Lewington. The United States is again threatening Canada with tariffs. It's unclear what impact this latest trade-war turn might have on southern Alberta. The United States is again threatening Canada with tariffs. It's unclear what impact this latest trade-war turn might have on southern Alberta. The agriculture industry isn't sounding the alarm just yet. Many producers have grown accustomed to the back-and-forth tariffs and won't be concerned until any additional tariffs are actually put in place. 'Well, it raises that kind of threat of instability within our industry again—something similar to what happened last November … although I think people aren't panicking quite as bad as they did at that point in time,' said Lynn Jacobson, Alberta Federation of Agriculture president. Premier Danielle Smith has spoken out against the latest tariff announcement. In a statement posted online, the premier said, 'The threatened increase to U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods would be a tax on the American people. They would also hurt Canadian and American businesses and workers, and damage one of the most important trading and security alliances on earth.' Energy and potash tariffs are expected to stay at 10 per cent.
Global News
20-06-2025
- Business
- Global News
World's first quantum computing super hub boots up in Lethbridge
Businesses in Lethbridge, Alta., are the first in the world to experience a brand-new technology that will soon be spread across the planet. It's been dubbed the 'ChatGPT of quantum computing' by its founders and economic experts are eager to see it in action. 'We are so excited to have the super quantum hub here in Lethbridge,' said Renae Barlow, vice-president of entrepreneurship and innovation at Economic Development Lethbridge. While it all sounds exciting, what is a super quantum computing hub? Well, Muhammad Khan, founder and CEO of SuperQ Quantum Computing, the company behind the hub, says it's as simple as adding a few components together. 'The whole value proposition for the super platform is it leverages a combination of classical and quantum hardware. It used Nvidia GPUs, it uses (quantum parts), it uses gate-based quantum machines, it uses classical CPUs, GPUs. It figures out how to best solve the problem using a combination of these architectures.' Story continues below advertisement Simple. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy While the details ca be left for the experts, the Tecconnect team and Economic Development Lethbridge say it will make a big impact on the local area. 'Having this type of access for our southern Alberta companies and industries puts us ahead. We're now leading as the only quantum hub. Well, (businesses) have got access to technology that nobody else does,' said Barlow. But why was Lethbridge chosen to be the pioneers of such a groundbreaking technology? According to Barlow, it's the industries around here. 'The industries that we have here are producing massive amounts of data. When you think about agriculture alone, just in precision ag, agri-food, agri-tech, we have manufacturing here, we have logistics here. All of those have massive amounts of data.' The man spearheading the operation, Eyren Uggenti, says it will be more than just businesses that can benefit from the hub. 'There's going to be students coming from the University of Lethbridge and Lethbridge Polytechnic who are going to have the opportunity to immerse a little further in these technologies and also, there's new initiatives propping up as we move forward. Even the access for researchers is a very exciting proposition with the hub being open now.' Khan says the next hub is expected to be opened in the United Arab Emirates, with others planned across different countries and continents in time.
