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Government of Canada finalizes investment to support Canadian-Born AI leader, Cohere

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Investment will boost domestic compute capacity to strengthen the Canadian AI ecosystem

OTTAWA, ON, March 20, 2025 /CNW/ – Today, the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced that the Government of Canada has finalized its investment of up to $240 million in Cohere Inc.‘s $725 million project to bring domestic compute capacity to Canada and support the development and scaling of AI capabilities here at home.

This federal investment will incentivize new cutting-edge AI compute infrastructure with the development of a new multi-billion-dollar AI data centre, located in Canada, that will come online this year. This will enable Cohere to accelerate the commercialization of its large language models at a new domestic data centre, driving growth and allowing Cohere to compete for global market share against other well-funded international competitors. Access to additional domestic compute capacity will support the expansion of other Canadian firms developing AI technologies in this rapidly growing sector.

Cohere is the first funding recipient of the AI Compute Challenge, announced in December 2024 under the Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy. The AI Compute Challenge supports the Canadian AI ecosystem through increased domestic AI compute capacity. Access to cutting-edge compute infrastructure, we are maintaining Canada’s leadership in AI, empowering researchers and industries to thrive.

Quotes

“Artificial intelligence is reshaping our world, and Canada is leading the way. Canadian AI leaders like Cohere drive rapid growth in our domestic AI industry, fuel economic expansion and boost productivity. We are proud to make strategic investments to support Canadian innovators, build capacity here at home and boost our economy.”
 – The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

Canada has long been a global leader in supporting AI, and this is a major step to ensure it maintains that position. Cohere is pleased to actively participate in this project that will help support Canadian technology development, and also help address data sovereignty needs, particularly for companies in highly regulated industries.”
Aidan Gomez, Co-founder and CEO, Cohere Inc.

Quick facts

Cohere Inc. is a Canadian-founded technology company focused on AI for businesses. The company, founded in 2019, specializes in chatbots, search engines, summarization and other AI-driven products and has become a champion in the AI world.The Government of Canada is allocating $2 billion from Budget 2024 to the Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy. The strategy will ensure that Canadian businesses, innovators and researchers have access to the compute capacity they need to develop made-in-Canada AI products and drive frontier research. This will be accomplished through a series of investments to meet short-, medium- and long-term compute needs:Up to $700 million through the AI Compute Challenge to support projects from industry, academia and the private sector to build Canadian AI data centres. There is an application process for these funds, with priority given to Canadian projects that can demonstrate a high rate of return on public investment, sustainability and other markers of success.Up to $705 million through the AI Sovereign Compute Infrastructure Program to build a state-of-the-art Canadian-owned and -located high-performance supercomputing system that will anchor national AI-specific computing infrastructure to meet the needs of Canada’s world-class research and innovation ecosystem. In addition, a smaller secure computing system, to be led by Shared Services Canada and the National Research Council of Canada, will also be established for government and industry to perform research and development, including for national security purposes. In the near term, up to $200 million will be provided to augment existing public compute infrastructure to address immediate needs.Up to $300 million through the AI Compute Access Fund to support the purchase of AI compute resources by innovative Canadian SMEs. This will meet the near-term needs of businesses as the government encourages increased private capital to build domestic compute capacity.The Government of Canada is supporting the responsible development and adoption of AI across the Canadian economy through a suite of measures—including the Canadian Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute and the Voluntary Code of Conduct on the Responsible Development and Management of Advanced Generative AI Systems.

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Canadian Sovereign AI Compute StrategyArtificial intelligence ecosystemAI Compute ChallengeSovereign Compute Infrastructure ProgramDeputy Prime Minister announces $240 million for Cohere to scale-up AI compute capacity

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STATE GRID ZHEJIANG ELECTRIC POWER CO., LTD: Early Action for Spring Farming, Sufficient Power for Spring Plowing

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LISHUI, China, March 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Plant a grain of rice in spring, and harvest thousands of seeds in autumn. On March 11, employees from STATE GRID ZHEJIANG ELECTRIC POWER CO., LTD visited the grain planting base in Yushang Township, Qingyuan County, to inspect agricultural power lines and equipment, ensuring adequate electricity for spring farming and irrigation, and helping farmers increase production and income.

In the seedling factory, the seedling production line is running efficiently, with the sounds of machinery echoing. In the fields, rows of greenhouses are neatly arranged, and farmers are busy in small groups, enjoying the warm spring sunlight. The cheerful faces and the red vests moving through the greenery make for a beautiful spring scene, marking the busy farming season.

Yushang Township, located in the southwest of Qingyuan, has favorable geographical conditions and has long been known as the “grain warehouse of Qingyuan.” Over the years, Yushang has leveraged its geographical advantages to accelerate the development of modern agriculture, building high-standard grain production bases. With the arrival of spring, the base has gradually regained vitality, and farmers are busy preparing for the upcoming harvest.

Proactive Service, Close Engagement with Farmers

Since March, in order to ensure smooth electricity supply for spring plowing and planting, STATE GRID ZHEJIANG ELECTRIC POWER CO., LTD took early action and made early arrangements. The company organized employees to go deep into the fields, inspecting transformers and power supply equipment related to spring farming. They checked electrical lines for greenhouses, leakage protectors, water pumping motors, and replaced substandard switches, sockets, and damaged wires to eliminate potential electrical hazards.

At the same time, the company tailored its services to the electricity usage conditions of the planting base, teaching farmers energy-saving tips, promoting electricity price policies, and providing guidance on safe and scientific electricity use. They patiently instructed customers to download the “State Grid” app, providing “online” one-click electricity services, and opened a green channel for spring farming electricity, simplifying procedures for agricultural electricity applications and capacity increases. The company also arranged for 24-hour emergency repair services, ensuring that any faults were dealt with promptly to help farmers resolve electrical issues in spring farming and irrigation.

“Since we started using greenhouses for planting, irrigation, heating, and ventilation all rely on a stable electricity supply. The power supply company regularly visits us to check our electricity usage, which gives us peace of mind. Now, power equipment failures and circuit breaker trips have decreased, and the electricity supply is much more stable,” said Wu Xinghua, the manager of the greenhouse base, happily. “We are planning to expand the planting scale next!”

In the next phase, STATE GRID ZHEJIANG ELECTRIC POWER CO., LTD will continue to provide high-quality, convenient, fast, and efficient services for spring irrigation and plowing. The company will implement various power supply guarantee measures in detail, ensuring that “electricity reaches the fields and services reach the farmers,” and removing obstacles to the “last mile” of power supply services.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/state-grid-zhejiang-electric-power-co-ltd-early-action-for-spring-farming-sufficient-power-for-spring-plowing-302414956.html

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Accelerating Connectivity in the Asia-Pacific: ADC Submarine Cable Empowers the Digital Future

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HONG KONG, March 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — On March 24, the launch ceremony of ADC Submarine Cable’s commissioning was successfully held at the Everbright Centre in Hong Kong. The event brought together over a hundred distinguished guests, including prominent figures from the political and business sectors, industry experts, and representatives from leading media organizations.

The ADC Submarine Cable project is jointly constructed by China Telecom, China Unicom, Singapore Telecom, Japan’s SoftBank, TATA Communications, Vietnam’s VIETTEL, Thailand’s NT, and the Philippines’ PLDT. As the only international submarine cable initiative launched in the Asia-Pacific region over the past nine years, it boasts the highest system transmission capacity and the largest number of fiber pairs in the region. Spanning 9,988 kilometers, the ADC Submarine Cable links mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and multiple other countries and regions across the Asia-Pacific. Designed with an open cable architecture and cutting-edge high-capacity optical transmission technology, it features a per-fiber pair design capacity exceeding 20 Tb/s, with a total system capacity surpassing 160 Tb/s. By offering diverse routing options, the ADC Submarine Cable significantly strengthens network resilience and stability across the Asia-Pacific, reinforcing the region’s digital infrastructure.

At the event, Prof. Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, the Government of HKSAR, emphasized that as a key gateway for the country’s opening-up, Hong Kong will fully harness its unique advantages under the “one country, two systems” framework. Leveraging its strategic roles as a “super connector” and “super value-adder,” Hong Kong aims to facilitate the global expansion of mainland enterprises while attracting international businesses. The Hong Kong SAR Government remains committed to enhancing the innovation and technology ecosystem through institutional innovation, policy coordination, and international collaboration. He encouraged industry leaders, including China Telecom, to embrace national and SAR government initiatives, capitalize on the opportunities presented by the digital economy, and intensify R&D efforts to drive breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, big data, and other frontier technologies. At the same time, he expressed confidence that more enterprises would actively contribute to Hong Kong’s innovation and technology landscape, fostering an open and inclusive ecosystem and reinforcing the city’s position as a globally influential hub for technological advancement.

Ms. Liu Ying, Executive Vice President of China Telecommunications Corporation Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “China Telecom”), indicated that the official launch of the ADC Submarine Cable marks a significant milestone in international cooperation. This achievement not only reaffirms China Telecom’s long-standing commitment to its global expansion strategy, cloud-network integration, and digital transformation but also ushers in a new era of collaboration with global partners to drive technological progress and shared prosperity. She also highlighted that China Telecom’s international business will continue to leverage Hong Kong as a strategic hub, dedicated to fostering a more open and collaborative ecosystem, advancing digital technology innovation, and accelerating the growth of the digital economy. The company remains committed to delivering more efficient, secure, and intelligent communication services to global users while working with industry partners to build a dynamic, inclusive, and mutually beneficial digital landscape.

As one of the organizers of the ADC Submarine Cable project, Mr. Yin Jin, CEO of China Telecom Global introduced that the ADC Submarine Cable will add over 50 Tb/s of bandwidth capacity to the Asia-Pacific region, supporting the exponential growth in data demand driven by artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and cloud computing. By offering a high-speed and resilient submarine communication network, the project not only enhances international telecommunications cooperation but also plays a vital role in fostering the high-quality development of the digital economy. In alignment with Hong Kong’s vision of becoming an International Innovation and Technology Hub, China Telecom Global is accelerating the development of major infrastructure projects, including the Tseung Kwan O Data Center, the Chung Hom Kok Cable Landing Station, and the New Eurasia and New Asia-Pacific submarine cables. The company is also strengthening its R&D capabilities through the establishment of AI and cybersecurity innovation centers, reinforcing its long-term commitment to driving technological progress and contributing to Hong Kong’s continued prosperity.

As the backbone of the global internet, submarine cables serve as a vital lifeline for international data transmission. In the future, China Telecom will collaborate with major global operators to continuously promote more submarine cable construction projects, further reinforcing the infrastructure that underpins 5G, AI, and digital technologies. By enhancing global connectivity, the company aims to accelerate the digital transformation landscape and contribute to the high-quality advancement of the digital economy.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/accelerating-connectivity-in-the-asia-pacific-adc-submarine-cable-empowers-the-digital-future-302414948.html

SOURCE China Telecom Global

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LONGi Chairman Zhong Baoshen Attends Boao Forum for Asia: Continuously Deepening China-Australia Tech Collaboration in Clean Energy

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BOAO, China, March 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — From March 25 to 28, the Boao Forum for Asia 2025 Annual Conference, themed “Asia in the changing World: Towards a shared Future.” will be held in Boao, Hainan, China. Zhong Baoshen, Chairman of LONGi, was invited to participate in the China-Australia Business Leaders Forum on March 26 under the theme “Deepening China-Australia Cooperation to Foster an Open Economy.” During the event, he shared solutions and future plans from the renewable energy sector on topics including promoting regional trade and investment growth, strengthening sci-tech innovation collaboration and industrial development, and advancing global energy transition.

Zhong stated that LONGi actively embraces the open economic environment brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which provides long-term momentum for regional trade and investment growth, particularly facilitating deeper cooperation between China and Australia in renewable energy. For instance, the Memorandum of Cooperation on Deepening Implementation of the Free Trade Agreement signed between China and Australia in June 2024 has created more favorable investment and service trade conditions for clean energy industries such as photovoltaics (PV). Australia boasts abundant solar resources, and LONGi is supplying high-efficiency PV modules, BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaics) products, and hydrogen production equipment to the local market through its Australian subsidiary, driving growth in the local PV and green hydrogen sectors. Additionally, LONGi will leverage RCEP’s trade facilitation to optimize global supply chains, deepen its market presence in Australia, and collaborate with local enterprises to advance carbon neutrality goals.

Regarding efforts to establish common Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards between China and Australia, Zhong emphasized LONGi’s support for unified green standards to reduce uncertainties in certification, carbon accounting, and supply chain management for renewable energy projects, thereby enhancing investment and trade efficiency. LONGi has already committed to 100% renewable energy manufacturing through initiatives like RE100, EP100, EV100, and the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi), actively promoting green manufacturing and reducing the carbon footprint of the PV industry chain to provide more eco-friendly products for Australia’s energy transition. The company also advocates for Sino-Australian collaboration in green investment and carbon trading, promoting ESG financial tools such as green bonds and carbon credit mechanisms to secure long-term funding for renewable energy projects.

In closing, Zhong summarized how Chinese and Australian enterprises can strengthen technological collaboration to foster healthy growth for both businesses and related industries. He highlighted that technological innovation is the core driver of sustainable development in the PV sector. LONGi is committed to deepening Sino-Australian sci-tech cooperation in clean energy, leveraging cutting-edge technologies to enhance energy efficiency and drive industry transformation. For example, through platforms like the China-Australia Joint Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation, LONGi will expand joint R&D with Australian universities, research institutions, and enterprises to explore more efficient and sustainable PV technologies.

As early as 2018, LONGi established a long-term technical partnership with the University of New South Wales (UNSW), collaborating on research into high-efficiency PV technologies, renewable energy system optimization, and talent development in the field. The two parties also jointly launched a research project on “PV-Powered Water Treatment Systems,” exploring PV applications in environmental protection. Furthermore, LONGi’s world-record-breaking monocrystalline silicon cell efficiency of 27.30% and its 34.6% crystalline silicon-perovskite tandem cell efficiency—both recognized as global benchmarks—have been included in the Solar Cell Efficiency Tables by Professor Martin Green, the “Father of Photovoltaics” at UNSW.

Notably, Australia ranks among the global leaders in rooftop solar adoption, with solar power once accounting for 80.5% of electricity supply in Western Australia, reflecting strong public acceptance and participation. The Australian government has also set a target for 82% of its electricity to come from renewables by 2030. Zhong concluded by emphasizing that in the context of deep decarbonization, electricity alone cannot meet all energy demands. Therefore, LONGi has strategically expanded into green hydrogen and green methanol businesses, converting low-cost clean electricity into green liquid and gaseous energy forms. Looking ahead, LONGi aims to deliver optimal solutions across photovoltaic systems, green hydrogen, and green methanol sectors. This strategy seeks to contribute greater value to the global energy transition while expanding the company’s long-term growth opportunities.

Moving forward, LONGi will work closely with strategic partners in Australia to jointly achieve this goal. With policy support, infrastructure development, and technological innovation, Australia’s energy transition is poised to advance steadily toward a sustainable future.

About LONGi

Founded in 2000, LONGi is committed to being the world’s leading solar technology company, focusing on customer-driven value creation for full scenario energy transformation.

Under its mission of ‘making the best of solar energy to build a green world’, LONGi has dedicated itself to technology innovation and established several business sectors, covering mono silicon wafers cells and modules, commercial & industrial distributed solar solutions, green energy solutions and hydrogen equipment. The company has honed its capabilities to provide green energy and has more recently, also embraced green hydrogen products and solutions to support global zero carbon development. www.longi.com/

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SOURCE LONGi

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