Cambridge is now home to one of the largest computer server farms in the world and has positioned the city as a key player in the future of the region's tech sector.
OVHcloud recently opened up its first facility in Ontario and second in Canada on Vondrau Drive in Cambridge in order to be near the ever growing tech hub that is Waterloo region.
Today the global cloud company hosted its inaugural Canada’s Innovation Future event alongside the Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA) and the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) in uptown Waterloo.
"Cambridge, it's at the heart of a tech ecosystem in Canada so it was logical for us," said vice president of OVHcloud Canada Estelle Azemard.
The $145 million, 10,000 square foot facility is filled with innovative liquid cooled servers that don't rely on electricity.
Azemard also noted that they produce their servers at their Quebec facility, so nearly everything is Canadian made. Everything from the components and technology to the storage of data is all kept here in Canada without ever leaving the country.
"We control the entire value chain, so from the production of the servers to the building of a data centres to implementing everything and then delivering our cloud solution," she said. "I like to say sometimes that we are of a more Canadian cloud provider, because even our servers are built in Canada."
At the event, panellists and experts spoke for the need for a local cloud company to store data from other tech giants in Waterloo and across Canada. This is where the Cambridge location comes in; with its 10,000 servers OVHcloud looks to compete with other massive cloud providers like Amazon and Google.
A focal point of discussion at the event was the growing demand and use of Artificial Intelligent (AI) technologies that need a lot of storage space and access to the cloud network.
Vic Fedeli, Ontario's minister of economic development said that Ontario is the second largest tech cluster in North America with a robust artificial intelligence
community including over 85,000 AI workers at 400 companies.
"OVHcloud’s new research will ensure that Ontario continues to lead, find solutions, and push boundaries across the sector,” he said.
According to a press release by OVHcloud, as businesses are increasingly adopting AI solutions, there is a growing emphasis on establishing regulatory frameworks that ensure ethical practices and protect data sovereignty.
"Striking a balance between fostering a competitive tech landscape and addressing privacy and security concerns, in this evolving regulatory environment presents both challenges and opportunities for organizations in the Waterloo-Toronto corridor."
The Cambridge server facility is heavily guarded inside and out, added Azemard. Data security has never been more important to their customers and they pride themselves on the privacy and integrity of their servers she said.
The company abides by European laws that are some of the strictest in the world in terms of data protection. At the event, they spoke with government officials about Canada adopting these same regulations to better protect the digital space and sensitive information.
"We guarantee that data not only is located in Canada, but won't be transferred outside of Canada," said Azemard. "We have no interest in using our customer data so we don't use our customer data. We don't use it in order to improve our own algorithm regarding AI and so their data stays their data."
The Cambridge facility opened in May 2024 in the old Blackberry building near Maplegrove Road with the hopes of being carbon neutral by 2030.
"We are very happy to have made this choice in Cambridge and the Waterloo ecosystem," added Azemard.
