OVHcloud outlines 2026 vision for Canada’s digital future

OVHcloud has released a set of technology predictions for Canada in 2026, focusing on digital sovereignty, sustainability in AI infrastructure, and early-stage adoption of quantum computing.

Estelle Azemard, Vice President of the Americas at OVHcloud, said Canada's innovation ecosystem faces instability and a shift in expectations around resilience. She pointed to strategic autonomy, sustainable infrastructure, and disruptive technologies as factors shaping business decisions across multiple sectors.

Digital sovereignty

Azemard said Canada's approach to digital sovereignty will move from debate into execution in 2026. She described a shift from conceptual discussions about data protection and compliance to a broader view that includes competitiveness, resilience and strategic autonomy.

She said the next phase will be defined by infrastructure choices and partnerships. She also said the model will rely on multiple participants rather than on a single actor to build national capacity on its own.

Azemard described coalition-based approaches that include government allies, carriers, cloud providers and data centre operators. She said such groups could co-invest in high-density and low-carbon facilities and shared platforms. She also cited the need for alignment on standards, security and interoperability.

Her predictions also referenced international cooperation. She pointed to a joint declaration between Canada and the European Union under the Digital Partnership Agreement, issued on the sidelines of the G7 in December. Azemard framed it as a sign of alignment on digital infrastructure, data governance and emerging technologies.

In her view, sovereign cloud procurement will take a more central role across government, critical infrastructure and regulated industries. She said requirements could tighten around Canadian control over encryption keys, metadata, support operations and supply-chain elements. She also suggested that buyers will look for providers that can show both global scale and local sovereignty.

Sustainability metrics

Azemard said sustainability will shift from a compliance requirement to a differentiator in Canada's AI strategy. She linked this to rising AI workloads and the associated pressure on provincial energy grids.

She also said the same trend will push changes in how organisations manage infrastructure. She highlighted the optimisation of power usage, more efficient cooling, and a greater focus on measuring energy consumption.

Her predictions described demand for more granular tracking of environmental impact in digital operations. She said environmental impact assessment tools will become standard, and she linked that expectation to commitments in Canada's federal 2025-2026 budget that she said included funding for sustainable AI infrastructure and clean-energy data centres.

In procurement, she said efficiency measures will take on greater weight. She highlighted Power Usage Effectiveness and Water Usage Effectiveness as metrics that will influence partner selection. She also said federal incentive frameworks will increasingly prioritise providers that integrate power management strategies alongside productivity gains.

Quantum planning

Azemard predicted that quantum computing will enter practical business planning in 2026, even if wider commercial use remains early. She said industries including finance, logistics and energy will start exploring quantum for problems that classical systems struggle to address. She listed supply chain optimisation, risk modelling and research acceleration as early targets.

Azemard also said cloud delivery will shape early access to quantum systems. She described this as a way to broaden experimentation through public-private partnerships and linked it to national commitments to scale up Canadian quantum work.

"The convergence of strategic autonomy imperative, sustainable infrastructure, and disruptive technologies such as AI and quantum innovation will redefine how businesses operate, innovate and compete," said Azemard.

Azemard said these themes will broaden boardroom and policy discussions beyond specific AI projects, and she framed the debate around how Canada builds and governs the digital infrastructure that underpins its economy.