For five years, the Science Complex of the University of Montreal, on the MIL campus, has become an essential place for discovery, learning and innovation. Thousands of students have taken their first steps into the world of research, while scientific teams have pushed the boundaries of knowledge. The development of the complex is today reaching a new stage. The provincial and federal governments confirm financial support of more than $200 million, while the Courtois Foundation, led by Jacques Courtois, grants UdeM an exceptional donation of $139.4 million which will enable the construction of the Courtois Institute. The work will begin this summer and should lead to the inauguration of new infrastructure during 2029.
This second phase of the Science Complex has been planned since the beginning of the development of the MIL campus. The UdeM teams have been working for several years now on the development of two new wings which will be added to the existing building. Confirmation of funding from governments was the final step to take to launch the calls for tenders which will allow work to begin. The Minister of Higher Education, Martine Biron confirmed the funding for the project during an announcement which took place at the MIL campus. She was accompanied by her colleague Éric Girard, Minister of Finance. On the federal government side, Rachel Bendayan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister of Canada and Member of Parliament for Outremont, and Caroline Desrochers, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure were present.
“We are grateful to the governments of Quebec and Canada for this major support for science and innovation. This project illustrates what is possible to accomplish when the public and philanthropic sectors join forces,” indicated UdeM rector Daniel Jutras. For this project, support from the Courtois Foundation amounts to $139.4M ($100M comes from the historic donation announced in 2021 to which $39.4M has been added today). “Jacques Courtois is without a doubt one of the closest allies of our scientists,” added the rector. All universities should be able to count on a partner like Mr. Courtois.”
The new facilities will allow the relocation of the mathematics and statistics department as well as the computer science and operational research department to bring together the six natural sciences departments of UdeM in the same location. The disciplines of chemistry, physics, geography and biological sciences have been located on the MIL campus since the inauguration of the Science Complex in 2019. The Courtois Institute will occupy one of the two new wings and will be equipped with state-of-the-art laboratories.
“Over the years, it became clear to me that my commitment to the University of Montreal would be for the benefit of fundamental research. For the simple reason that long-term science, without concrete short-term results, is not much valued by society. Yet it is this research that often, after much trial and error, helps change the world. I do not doubt for a second that a major discovery will take place at the Courtois Institute and I am delighted to think that my gesture of philanthropy will have made a real difference,” says Jacques Courtois.
The Courtois Institute was launched in 2022 thanks to the support of the Courtois Foundation. Researchers in the fields of chemistry, physics and computer science have a common goal; that of exploiting recent advances in artificial intelligence. “If we want to promote our long-term prosperity, we must ensure the strength of our scientific capabilities in both fundamental and applied research. This is all the more true in strategic sectors like those of the Courtois Institute. We already had exceptional researchers, but it will be all the easier to recruit the next generation to support them in their projects. Furthermore, we can now equip them with the best platforms and bring them together with our proven expertise in artificial intelligence to accelerate research into advanced materials and the quantum properties of matter, to the greatest benefit of our communities,” adds the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Frédéric Bouchard.