The UK is advancing its digital transformation agenda following a series of new technology agreements with Canada, secured during the latest G7 ministerial meetings in Montreal. Technology Minister Ian Murray returned to the UK with commitments designed to expand AI adoption, modernise public services, and strengthen the countries’ shared position in emerging technology fields that underpin digital construction, advanced infrastructure, and wider economic development.
A key outcome of the visit was a new G7 deal focused on accelerating AI adoption among small and medium-sized enterprises. The agreement aims to increase productivity by supporting firms to integrate artificial intelligence into everyday operations. For the UK’s digital construction sector, increased AI adoption among SMEs has the potential to streamline project delivery, strengthen data-driven decision-making, and reduce inefficiencies across supply chains.
Alongside this, the UK and Canada have committed to deepen their collaboration across critical digital technologies, with both governments setting out plans to address outdated digital infrastructure, rising cyber threats, and the growing demand for modern public services. Central to this effort is a new UK–Canada semiconductor research network, which will bring together experts to advance chip design, materials science, and packaging techniques.
Semiconductors sit at the core of digital construction tools, sensors, connected infrastructure, and building information modelling platforms. The new research network, backed by £1.16 million from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and led by Professor Andy G Sellars at the University of Southampton, will support research exchanges, secondments, and workshops. The partnership aims to accelerate innovation in faster and more energy-efficient chips and ensure both nations remain competitive in global semiconductor development.
Modernisation
The agreements also support the modernisation of public sector technology. The UK and Canada will exchange practical insights on how artificial intelligence is already being used to deliver public services, sharing cloud architectures, digital tools, and deployment models. This knowledge exchange is expected to help public bodies reduce operational costs, streamline service delivery, and introduce more efficient digital workflows. For industries reliant on large datasets and real-time analytics, including digital construction and asset management, improved public sector digital infrastructure will create clearer standards and more consistent approaches to data interoperability.
A further step forward is the new partnership between the UK’s National Supercomputing Centre in Edinburgh and Canada’s Digital Research Alliance. The agreement will support collaboration on high-performance computing, which is increasingly fundamental to large-scale modelling, simulation, and generative design in the built environment. As demand for computing power grows, cooperation on supercomputing architectures and operational practices will help accelerate innovation across AI research, digital twins, and complex construction modelling.
The strengthened UK–Canada relationship builds on the Growth and Innovation Partnership agreed in June, designed to expand research and development across semiconductors, quantum technologies, digital innovation, and artificial intelligence. Canadian firms already play a significant role in the UK economy, investing around £30 billion in 2023 and supporting more than 165,000 jobs.
As both countries deepen their collaboration, the benefits are expected to be felt across public services, infrastructure delivery, and technology-driven sectors. The agreements set out a clear direction for future digital transformation, positioning the UK and Canada as aligned partners in developing the tools and systems that will support economic growth and deliver more efficient public services for years to come.
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