OTTAWA, ON, June 4, 2026 /CNW/ – Tech-Access Canada welcomes the Government of Canada’s new national artificial intelligence strategy, AI for All, and its focus on helping Canadian businesses, workers, and students harness the benefits of AI to strengthen productivity, competitiveness, and economic growth.
Canada has earned a global reputation for excellence in artificial intelligence research. The next challenge is ensuring that businesses across all sectors of the economy have the support they need to adopt and apply AI technologies in practical ways that improve operations, create new opportunities, and enhance competitiveness.
The strategy’s emphasis on AI adoption among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), workforce development, and hands-on learning opportunities for students reflects areas where Canada’s colleges, cégeps, and Technology Access Centres (TACs) are already making a meaningful contribution.
Across Canada, Technology Access Centres help thousands of businesses each year evaluate, test, validate, and implement emerging technologies. In the AI space, TACs have supported companies across sectors such as manufacturing, forestry, energy, agriculture, and environmental services in applying artificial intelligence to real-world challenges, including predictive maintenance, process optimization, quality control, resource management, and operational decision-making.
Examples include helping manufacturers improve production efficiency through AI-enabled process optimization and supporting natural resource companies with advanced analytics and machine learning tools that improve monitoring, forecasting, and operational performance.
The strategy’s commitment to AI literacy, skills development, and student work-integrated learning opportunities is also particularly encouraging. Every year, Technology Access Centres provide over 2,000 students with hands-on experience working alongside Canadian companies on applied R&D and technology adoption projects, helping them develop the practical skills needed to succeed in an increasingly AI-enabled economy.
“Canada has been a global leader in AI research for decades. The next challenge is helping more Canadian businesses, workers, and students put AI to work solving real-world problems,” said Ken Doyle, Executive Director of Tech-Access Canada.
“We are encouraged to see the strategy’s strong emphasis on the adoption of AI, workforce development, and ensuring that the benefits of AI reach businesses and communities across the country. Technology Access Centres have long operated at the intersection of innovation, talent development, and industry collaboration, helping SMEs adopt emerging technologies while providing students with valuable hands-on experience. As Canada works to increase AI adoption across the economy, colleges, cégeps, and their Technology Access Centres are well positioned to help translate that ambition into practical outcomes.”
An independent evaluation of the federal College and Community Innovation Program recently concluded that Technology Access Centres contribute to measurable increases in revenue and employment among the small businesses they support, while providing students with applied learning opportunities that improve career outcomes.
Tech-Access Canada looks forward to working with governments, industry partners, post-secondary institutions, and innovation organizations across the country to help ensure the successful implementation of Canada’s AI strategy and the broad adoption of AI technologies that strengthen Canadian productivity and prosperity.
About Tech-Access Canada
Tech-Access Canada is the national network of 70 Technology Access Centres located at colleges and cégeps across the country. Together, they provide Canadian companies with access to objective applied R&D expertise, specialized equipment, prototyping, technology validation, and innovation support. Each year, the network works with more than 6,000 businesses and organizations, helping accelerate innovation, commercialisation, and technology adoption.
SOURCE Tech-Access Canada
Media contact: Ken Doyle, Executive Director, Tech-Access Canada, 613-209-3279, kdoyle@tech-access.ca, www.meetthetacs.ca
