Montréal, Québec and Gothenburg, Sweden - April 8, 2026 – Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute (Mila), and RISE Research Institutes of Sweden AB (RISE) today announced the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to bridge the Canadian and Swedish AI ecosystems. This partnership aims to accelerate the transition from the lab to the front lines of industrial applications, focusing on forestry, mining and the global energy transition.
Through this collaboration, Mila and RISE will explore new methods and solutions where agentic systems can achieve increased autonomy, and keep human-centered trustworthiness and climate impact as central design criteria. This approach focuses on building AI that can take on complex tasks with greater reliability and transparency while staying aligned with human needs.
Mila and RISE will work to translate AI advances into concrete industrial impact in strategic sectors. In forestry, the collaboration connects advanced AI with deep silvicultural expertise to support higher efficiency and stronger environmental stewardship. In mining, Mila and RISE will examine how AI-enabled autonomous discovery and robotic navigation can help make underground operations cleaner, safer, and more precise. In energy systems and electrification, the work will look at how AI can support grid stability and real-time demand forecasting, strengthening energy security and operational efficiency.
To ensure the collaboration translates into tangible outcomes, Mila and RISE will set up a joint Steering Committee with equal representation to coordinate research efforts and track progress. This body will provide consensus-based recommendations, coordinate research efforts, identify high-impact projects and mobilize funding across their respective ecosystems. By leveraging their respective networks of academic and private-sector partners, the two organizations aim to create a direct pipeline for AI-enabled industrial decarbonization and innovation.
Quotation
"Breakthrough AI is only valuable if it earns trust and makes a real difference. With RISE, we are focusing AI development and capabilities on critically strategic domains like our forests, mines, and energy systems. By bringing together deep research and applied innovation, we are building next-generation systems where climate impact and human-centered design are requirements, not afterthoughts,” said Valérie Pisano, President and CEO of Mila.
“This collaboration is about moving faster from research to real industrial value and doing it in a way that industry can actually adopt. With Mila, we’re focusing on practical AI innovation and technology transfer that strengthens competitiveness and supports more sustainable operations, while keeping trustworthiness at the centre,” said Paul Halle Zahl Pedersen, Senior Vice President at Division Digital Systems, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden AB.
About Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute
Founded by Professor Yoshua Bengio, Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute is the world’s largest academic AI research center specialized in deep learning, home to a community over 1500 members strong. Based in Montreal, Mila was created out of a unique partnership between Université de Montréal and McGill University, dedicated to advancing scientific breakthroughs that drive innovation and ensure AI benefits everyone. A non-profit organization, Mila is strongly supported by the Government of Canada through the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy and by the Government of Quebec. Internationally recognized for its influential research, global innovation partnerships, and leadership in multilateral efforts on responsible AI, Mila continues to shape the future of AI worldwide. For more information, visit mila.quebec.
About RISE
RISE is Sweden's independent government research institute, with a mission to promote sustainable growth by strengthening business competitiveness and public sector innovation. With applied research, more than 130 technology infrastructures for development, testing and demonstration, and interdisciplinary expertise, our more than 3,000 employees offer support and knowledge all the way – from idea to innovation and the step into the market. Through our assignments and collaborations, both nationally and internationally, we contribute to the transition towards a sustainable society.
For more information, please contact:
Christian Ahuet
Public Relations Consultant
Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute
E. christian.ahuet@mila.quebec
M. 514-994-7496
Niklas Jälevik
Head of Media Relations
RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
E. niklas.jalevik@ri.se
