Bell invests $1 million in McKenna Institute to strengthen Canada's cybersecurity talent pipeline

• New partnership expands the McKenna Institute's role in developing job‑ready cybersecurity talent in New Brunswick, with Bell Cyber scaling impact across Canada

FREDERICTON, NB, Feb. 27, 2026 /CNW/ - Bell Canada today announced a $1 million investment in the McKenna Institute at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) to help advance Canada's cybersecurity talent and capability, with artificial intelligence supporting next-generation cyber defence and resilience.

The investment establishes a new partnership between Bell Cyber, Bell's national cybersecurity platform, and the McKenna Institute -- strengthening UNB and the Institute's roles as key drivers of cybersecurity talent development in New Brunswick, and Bell as a scaling partner investing upstream in education, skills development and workforce pathways that are critical to Canada's digital economy and national security.

"Canada's connected economy and the infrastructure that supports it depend on strong cybersecurity -- and that starts with talent. By building on the momentum of Bell Cyber and investing in education, job‑ready skills, and the purposeful application of AI to enhance defence, detection and response, our new partnership with the McKenna Institute will help strengthen Canada's cyber‑resilience and further support enterprises and public institutions facing an increasingly complex digital threat landscape."

-           John Watson, Group President, Bell Business Markets

Through this investment, the McKenna Institute will establish the McKenna Institute Cyber Talent Program powered by Bell Canada. This 12-to-16 week, full-time, industry-led intensive program is designed to complement existing academic pathways by providing applied, real-world experience that reflects the rapidly evolving needs of the cybersecurity sector. The program will contribute to UNB's cybersecurity ecosystem by deepening collaboration with industry partners and ensuring training continues to evolve alongside emerging threats, technologies, and workforce demands.

Cybersecurity is foundational to Canada's economy, critical infrastructure and public institutions. As cyber threats grow in scale and sophistication, artificial intelligence is increasingly essential to strengthening detection, response and resilience at scale, while demand for job-ready cybersecurity talent continues to rise. Bell's investment will support the McKenna Institute's ability to advance cybersecurity education and training, strengthen alignment between academic programs and industry requirements, coordinate expertise across institutions and sectors, and expand initiatives that support regional industry needs and contribute to broader Canadian cybersecurity capacity.

Bell Cyber brings national scale, deep operational cybersecurity expertise and insight into evolving threat and talent needs, while the McKenna Institute provides ecosystem coordination, program delivery and applied leadership. Together, the partnership will build secure, adaptable and sustainable cybersecurity and AI capability development that supports New Brunswick and contributes to Canada's broader cybersecurity ecosystem.

"Cybersecurity is central to Canada's economic and national security, and we need the right talent in the right roles at the right time. The McKenna Institute is helping make that happen. Bell's investment accelerates our ability to train job-ready talent for the challenges Canada is facing today, and prepares us for those coming next."

-           Frank McKenna, Founder, The McKenna Institute

"UNB has a long-standing commitment to education and research that supports ever-changing industry needs and delivers measurable impact. This exciting new partnership with Bell expands our capacity to advance cybersecurity learning with greater agility, creating meaningful new opportunities for employees and students in New Brunswick. Through this initiative our graduates will be incredibly well placed to join a highly skilled cybersecurity workforce prepared to respond to an increase of cyber threats across industry."

-           Paul J. Mazerolle, President and Vice Chancellor, The University of New Brunswick

The partnership builds on the launch of Bell Cyber, a central pillar of Bell's strategy to lead in enterprise with AI-powered solutions. Bell Cyber unifies cybersecurity solutions across Bell's ecosystem into a one-stop, end-to-end platform for network, cloud and endpoint security. Bell Cyber is supported by Bell's broader AI capabilities, including Ateko and Bell AI Fabric, delivering secure, sovereign and Canadian-controlled solutions that help protect Canada's critical infrastructure and reduce reliance on foreign intelligence feeds for public and private sector customers.

Investing in New Brunswick's future

Bell continues to build the network to support what's next for New Brunswick. With more than $1 billion invested in broadband fibre and wireless networks since 2013 and $55 million in 2025 alone, Bell is delivering the future-ready technology that connects residents, businesses and public institutions in an increasingly digital economy. Bell's wireless network, the largest in the province and growing, covers 98% of the population.

Bell Let's Talk continues to invest in healthier communities across the region, contributing an average of $700,000 annually to provide access to mental health supports and services for Atlantic Canadians. This includes targeted support for student mental health at the University of New Brunswick, where Bell Let's Talk has contributed approximately $150,000 toward projects for advanced therapy training, implementation of the Post‑Secondary Mental Health Standard, and the creation of a Diversity Wellness Coordinator role.

Beyond mental health, Bell maintains longstanding partnerships with local cultural and community initiatives in New Brunswick including the Harvest Music Festival, helping strengthen the vibrancy and economic vitality of communities across the province and the wider Atlantic region.

About Bell

Bell is Canada's largest communications company¹, leading the way in advanced fibre and wireless networks, enterprise services and digital media. By delivering next-generation technology that leverages cloud-based and AI-driven solutions, we're keeping customers connected, informed and entertained while enabling businesses to compete on the world stage. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca. 

¹ Based on total revenue and total combined customer connections. 

About the University of New Brunswick

The University of New Brunswick is Canada's oldest English-language university and New Brunswick's only national comprehensive university. Founded in 1785, the multi-campus institution has a rich history as well as a dynamic focus on research, innovation, experiential learning and entrepreneurship. UNB welcomes more than 10,000 students from 100 countries to its campuses. With over 250 programs, certificates and diplomas in 14 faculties, UNB helps students acquire the abilities needed to make an impact in their communities.

About the McKenna Institute

The McKenna Institute fuels economic growth and social progress by advancing the use of digital technologies in New Brunswick. The Institute collaborates to accelerate our talent pipeline, nurture ideas and enable all New Brunswick communities to thrive in a digital world.

Media inquiries:

Morgan Shipley
[email protected]

Kathleen McLaughlin
[email protected] 

Investor inquiries:

Richard Bengian
[email protected]

SOURCE Bell Canada (MTL)