Bridging the Atlantic: Germany and Canada Forge AI Alliance

Contents

In the world of Artificial Intelligence, geopolitics are increasingly defined by computing power, data sovereignty, and ethical guardrails. Against this backdrop, Germany and Canada aim to establish their digital partnership on a new foundation, which is far more than a routine diplomatic act. On the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, German Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger (CDU) and his Canadian counterpart Evan Solomon signed a joint declaration of intent on Saturday. It is intended to pave the way for deep technological symbiosis in the AI sector. The agreement marks the first major milestone of the Digital Alliance between the two countries, founded in Montreal in December.

The strategic importance of the partnership lies in the complementary strengths of both countries. Canada has been one of the world's leading research hubs for deep learning for years. Germany brings a strong industrial base and expertise in applied AI, for example in robotics or medical technology. The signed document aims to pool these advantages to become technologically and economically more independent from the market-dominating platforms from the USA and China, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or DeepSeek.

Sovereign Infrastructure and Green Computing Power

One aspect of the agreement concerns the creation of sovereign digital infrastructure. In an era where access to massive computing capacities determines the success of entire industries, Berlin and Ottawa plan to jointly expand data centers. A focus is placed on energy efficiency – a topic that is gaining political momentum given the enormous power consumption of modern language models. Through joint investment models, resources are to be created that are specifically tailored to the needs of national AI ecosystems. At the same time, they are intended to provide companies from both countries with a secure, scalable basis for their innovations.

Wildberger emphasized that responsible AI development and robust digital ecosystems are inseparably linked to the economic future of both nations. Solomon added that it is up to democracies to take a pioneering role in promoting secure and ethically sound technology. This is reflected in the planned cooperation on international standards. Both countries want to intensify the exchange on ethical principles and thus ensure that AI systems remain transparent. This is considered a crucial factor for the acceptance of technology by the public and the economy.

Networking of Talents

The cooperation extends beyond theory. A practical focus is on fostering talent and networking startups as well as medium-sized companies. Direct knowledge transfer is to take place through exchange programs and business-to-business formats. The defense sector and the semiconductor industry are to be included. In these sensitive areas, Germany and Canada want to cooperate more closely to ensure technological sovereignty throughout the entire value chain.

A first major practical test is already scheduled: in mid-September, Germany will be the guest country at "All in" in Montreal, Canada's largest AI trade fair. With its own country pavilion, the Federal Republic aims to provide a platform for German companies to forge new partnerships in the North American market. The goal is to make German expertise in fields such as industrial AI or energy-efficient robotics more visible worldwide.

Digital Sovereignty in the Shadow of "America First"

The deepened alliance is also to be understood as a strategic response to the changed situation in Washington. Under Donald Trump's second term, the climate for international technology cooperation has significantly intensified. The aggressive "America First" policy, which increasingly relies on deregulation at home and protectionist measures towards partners, is causing considerable tension.

While the White House, with its new AI action plan, primarily aims to cement US dominance and even threatens traditional allies with tariffs in the tech sector, Berlin and Ottawa are seeking a united front of "Middle Powers." In this context, the German-Canadian cooperation is seen as a signal for rules-based digital policy.

(nie)