CALGARY — Canada’s defence minister says the University of Calgary will be home to a new quantum research hub.

Ottawa is expected to spend $20.3 million over two years for a University of Calgary-led group to establish the hub.

That hub will be used to research and develop quantum tech to feed the Canadian Armed Forces’ national defence needs.

Ottawa says it will focus on quantum sensing, communications, algorithms and hardware.

It is the third such hub announced by the federal government, with the Halifax hub focusing on maritime security and the Montreal hub looking at drone technology.

Federal Defence Minister David McGuinty says countries that lead in quantum technologies will help shape the next generation of military capability.

“(Quantum technologies) will redefine navigation when GPS is denied; communications when networks are contested; sensing when adversaries seek to remain invisible; and computing at speeds that will transform what is possible across defense, security, and industry,” McGuinty said at the University of Calgary on Thursday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 6, 2026.

Dayne Patterson, The Canadian Press