Nokia & Hypertec to Expand Data Centre Capability in Canada

Nokia and Hypertec have completed the deployment of the Nibi supercomputer at the University of Waterloo, expanding Canada's HPC capabilities. 

Designed to support more than 4,000 researchers each year, the system enhances research capacity across health, climate science, engineering and AI.

This is Nokia’s first deployment of its AI-HPC data centre networking class in North America. It also marks a collaboration with Hypertec, which led the architecture and integration. 

The project supports Canada’s ability to build sovereign research infrastructure using domestic and global expertise.

Supporting Canada’s research network

SHARCNET (Shared Hierarchical Academic Research Computing Network) is Canada’s largest HPC consortium by number of institutions, with 19 academic partners. It offers computing power to Canadian researchers, including faculty, postdoctoral fellows and students.

John Morton, Director of Technology at SHARCNET, says: “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. 

“Nokia’s performance networking combined with Hypertec’s system integration expertise gives our research community the scalability, reliability and performance needed to support a wide range of demanding workloads.”

The Nibi deployment strengthens SHARCNET’s infrastructure and supports research that depends on scalable compute and network performance. 

It uses Nokia’s Data Center Fabric and IP networking, combined with Hypertec’s AI-HPC system design and immersion-cooling capabilities.

“This collaboration with Nokia proves that Canada can design and deploy AI and high-performance computing infrastructure at the highest global standards," says Mike Marracino, President of Hypertec Solutions Partner (HSP).

“Hypertec works with universities, enterprises and governments around the world on the most demanding AI workloads," he adds.

“Bringing that capability to SHARCNET gives Canadian researchers truly world-class infrastructure and strengthens Canada’s competitiveness in advancing research and AI.”

Hypertec acts as the primary integrator on the project, providing expertise in systems integration and data centre deployment at scale. The partnership ensures the infrastructure aligns with demanding research needs across multiple disciplines.

Enabling scalable AI and HPC capacity

Nibi is built to handle a wide range of data-intensive applications. The Nokia Data Center Fabric is a high-capacity switching platform designed for AI-era demands. 

With a quality-first architecture and a modern network operating system, it supports automation and reduces operational error.

Charmaine Dean, Vice-President, Research and Professor in the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science at the University of Waterloo, says: “The Nibi supercomputer significantly expands Waterloo’s capacity to support advanced computational research. 

“By working with Nokia and Hypertec, we gain access to world-class AI and high-performance computing infrastructure that combines scalable system design with high-performance Ethernet networking, advancing the next generation of Canadian research and reinforcing Waterloo’s long-standing leadership in computation.”

The platform’s Ethernet-based design supports flexible deployment and ease of integration into existing research environments. 

It allows researchers to scale workloads efficiently and reduces infrastructure barriers for complex modelling and AI training.

Jeff Maddox, President of Nokia Canada, says: “This project will be key to maintaining Canada’s global leadership in computer science and innovation in the AI era. 

“This is a very important day for Nokia Canada and we are looking forward to more exciting joint projects with Hypertec Group, SHARCNET and the University of Waterloo.”

Broader data centre ambitions in Canada

This deployment reflects Nokia’s wider strategy in the Canadian technology landscape. Its upcoming Ottawa campus at Kanata North Tech Park will cover 750,000 square feet and focus on next-generation 6G, AI-powered networks, quantum-safe systems and advanced data centre networking.

Nokia’s presence in Canada dates back to 1989 with Newbridge Networks. The company evolves through Alcatel and Alcatel-Lucent before becoming part of Nokia in 2016. 

Today, it employs more than 2,700 people across the country and continues to invest in Canadian innovation.

Nibi’s launch at the University of Waterloo strengthens Canada’s AI and HPC infrastructure and sets a benchmark for scalable, research-focused data centre deployments.