TELUS and Indigenomics partner to advance Indigenous economic outcomes using sovereign AI

Executive Summary

• TELUS and Indigenomics announced a partnership granting Indigenomics access to TELOT’s Sovereign AI Factory in Rimouski, Quebec.
• The collaboration will accelerate development of the “IndigenomicsAI” platform to measure, mobilize and amplify Indigenous economic activity while ensuring data sovereignty.
• TELUS highlights the initiative as part of its reconciliation strategy and AI‑for‑Good program, emphasizing responsible AI, renewable‑energy powered compute, and support for Indigenous economic self‑determination.

Key Details

• Partnership Scope: Indigenomics will use TELUS’s high‑performance GPU‑accelerated AI compute infrastructure (Sovereign AI Factory) to train models, conduct research on the size of the Indigenous economy, and build AI‑driven economic development tools.
• Facility Location & Sustainability: The compute facility is located in Rimouski, Quebec; it runs on 99 % renewable energy and consumes less electricity than industry averages.
• Strategic Objectives:
• Accelerate creation of the IndigenomicsAI platform – an Indigenous economic intelligence system.
• Preserve Indigenous data, knowledge, and intellectual property through sovereign AI infrastructure.
• Support Indigenous Nations, businesses, and organizations in developing AI solutions on their own terms.
• Quotes:
• Hesham Fahmy (CIO, TELUS) – emphasizes the partnership as part of TELUS’s reconciliation strategy and responsible AI commitment.
• Carol Anne Hilton (Founder & CEO, Indigenomics) – notes the collaboration as a catalyst for Indigenous economic leadership toward a $100‑billion target.
• Pam Snively (Chief Data & Trust Officer, TELUS) – highlights data sovereignty and economic self‑determination enabled by the Sovereign AI Factory.
• Broader Context: The partnership builds on an existing multi‑year relationship between TELUS and Indigenomics focused on digital connectivity, economic reconciliation, and cultural respect.

Notable Quotes

“Supporting Indigenous economic advancement through our sovereign AI infrastructure is one example of TELUS' reconciliation strategy and commitment to responsible AI in action.” – Hesham Fahmy, CIO, TELUS

“This partnership is a catalyst for the next generation of Indigenous economic leadership, unlocking the data intelligence… well beyond the $100‑billion Indigenous economic target.” – Carol Anne Hilton, Founder & CEO, Indigenomics