Federal and provincial government investment of more than $200 million for Phase II of the University of Montreal Science Complex: Canada and Quebec at the forefront of advanced materials, computing and artificial intelligence

MONTREAL, June 15, 2026 /CNW/ - The Honourable Rachel Bendayan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Member of Parliament for Outremont, Caroline Desrochers, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, as well as Martine Biron, Minister of Higher Education and Minister responsible for the Status of Women and Eric Girard, Minister of Government Digital Transformation, Public Works and Procurement, Minister of Finance and Minister responsible for Infrastructure, announced today a total provincial and federal government contribution of more than $200 million to the Université de Montréal (UdeM). The announcement was made in the presence of Daniel Jutras, Rector of the Université de Montréal, and Jacques Courtois, President of the Courtois Foundation. This investment follows on the heels of the Canada-Quebec agreement and the Build Communities Strong Fund, which supports major infrastructure projects and the construction of university facilities. This investment will enable the university to move forward with Phase II of its Science Complex.

Specifically, this government funding, will support the construction of two buildings adjacent to the existing Science Complex facility. These new spaces will bring together, in a single location, the natural sciences (already housed in the existing building), data science and the Courtois Institute, whose personnel and activities were previously spread across multiple sites.

Phase II of the Université de Montréal Science Complex is part of a strategic initiative to position Quebec and Canada at the forefront of the discovery and design of advanced materials. The project aims to integrate the latest advances in computing and artificial intelligence with expertise in chemistry, physics and materials science to explore the fundamental and functional properties of matter.

The project is expected to accommodate nearly 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students, as well as approximately 300 staff members, professors and researchers, within the university community already established at the MIL Campus.

Quotes

"Supporting the development of the Université de Montréal infrastructure, particularly through the Build Communities Strong Fund, means making a direct contribution to our collective future. The construction of new facilities will provide the university with learning and research spaces that meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. This investment supports the education of the next generation, the advancement of new knowledge and the institution's scientific leadership and influence."

The Honourable Rachel Bendayan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Member of Parliament for Outremont

"I am proud of the completion of Phase II of the Université de Montréal Science Complex, a major project that strengthens our leadership in research and development. With state-of-the-art facilities dedicated to artificial intelligence, quantum sciences, robotics and high-performance computing, these new spaces will foster interdisciplinary collaboration and help advance science for the benefit of the community."

Caroline Destochers, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure

"The creation of Phase II of the Science Complex is excellent news for the Universite de Montréal, its researchers, its student community and the entire Quebec higher education ecosystem. Developing expertise in critical scientific fields is essential to Quebec's prosperity. I am proud of this major investment."

Martine Biron, Minister of Higher Education and Minister responsible for the Status of Women

"Our government is investing $111 million in Phase II of the Université de Montréal's Science Complex to support the construction of new buildings, which will house the Courtois Institute, among other facilities. This investment will enable the Université de Montréal to continue its development as a centre of excellence in research and innovation. I am delighted that this announcement is the first to result from our new agreement with the federal government on infrastructure for higher education."

Eric Girard, Minister of Finance and Minister responsible for Infrastructure

"This announcement illustrates everything that can be achieved when government and philanthropy work together in the service of the common good. We are strengthening the scientific hub of Quebec's largest research university. We are providing our students and researchers with a world-class environment. Above all, we are investing in what remains our greatest collective asset: knowledge, talent and the capacity to innovate. I thank the Government of Quebec for its decisive support and its renewed confidence in our university."

Daniel Jutras, Rector of the Université de Montréal

"Over the years, it has become clear to me that my commitment to the Université de Montréal would serve the advancement of fundamental research. For the simple reason that long-term science, without immediate tangible results, is not highly valued by society. Yet it is precisely this kind of research that, often after many trials and errors, helps change the world. I have no doubt that a major discovery will take place at the Courtois Institute and I am pleased to think that my act of philanthropy will have made a real difference."

Jacques Courtois, President of the Courtois Foundation

Quick facts

• The project also benefits from an investment by the Université de Montréal, and the real estate component of the Institut Courtois receives financial support from a private foundation, the Courtois Foundation.
• The Société québécoise des infrastructures (SQI) is a partner in this project.
• Phase II of the Science Complex is the logical and planned continuation of the development of the Université de Montréal's MIL Campus.
• Founded in 1878, the Université de Montréal is one of the most important institutions of higher education and research in the French-speaking world.
• Together with HEC Montréal and Polytechnique Montréal, it forms the leading French-speaking university hub in North America, playing a pivotal role in the scientific, professional, cultural, and economic development of Quebec.
• Its academic offerings include human and animal health, natural and applied sciences, engineering, law, social sciences, arts and humanities, education, urban planning, music, and theology.
• On June 2, Prime Minister Carney, announced a landmark new partnership between the Government of Canada and the Government of Québec that will transform communities across the province. Over the next 10 years, Canada's new government is investing nearly $10 billion in the province through the Build Communities Strong Fund (BCSF) and the Canada Public Transit Fund (CPTF) – marking one of the largest infrastructure investments in Québec's history, including more than $2.5 billion over 10 years to build new and improved homes, post-secondary campuses, and community centres across Québec.

Associated links

Build Communities Strong Fund

https://housing-infrastructure.canada.ca/bcsf-fbcf/index-eng.html

Housing and Infrastructure Project Map

https://housing-infrastructure.canada.ca/gmap-gcarte/index-eng.html

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SOURCE Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

Contacts: For more information (media only), please contact: Mohammad Hussain, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, [email protected]; Media Relations, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]; Aurélie Diep, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Higher Education, 367-330-4179; Media Relations Officer, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Higher Education, Sport, Recreation and Outdoor Sector, Secretariat for the Status of Women, [email protected]