The International Business Machines Corporation is working with a prominent post-secondary institution in Quebec.
IBM is collaborating with Polytechnique Montréal through the former’s Impact Accelerator.
The accelerator from IBM is a pro bono social innovation program that helps nonprofit and government organizations scale AI-powered solutions for communities and systems facing environmental and economic challenges.
“Polytechnique Montreal is very happy to be joining the IBM Impact Accelerator program as part the 2025 cohort,” stated François Bertrand, who serves the institution as Vice President of Research and Innovation.
The partnership follows a call to action from IBM earlier this year.
The callout sought entities working on solutions that use AI to optimize resources, modernize supply chains, and reduce emissions across clean energy, water management, sustainable agriculture, and other areas.
Polytechnique Montreal is working on an AI-powered, quantum-enabled tool that aims to positively affect Canada’s forestry sector, a major cornerstone of the national economy which contributes more than $33B while supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country.
“This new partnership with IBM will be key to enable us to fully develop the AI and quantum-enabled decision-support tool we are currently working on,” Bertrand said, “which aims at transforming the raw forest biomass into a wide range of products while providing sustainable forest management and harvesting.”
As a member of the Sustainability Quantum Working Group, Polytechnique Montreal is working with IVADO, with access to the IBM Quantum System One administered by PINQ2, to explore models supporting the forest sector.
The project will combine operational data, machine learning, and digital twin technology to improve harvest planning and yield forecasting—while balancing cost and energy use.
“We’re in an era where advanced technologies like AI are moving beyond innovation labs and into communities to solve real supply chain and infrastructure challenges,” says Justina Nixon-Saintil, who functions as Chief Impact Officer for IBM.
IBM and Polytechnique Montreal will collaborate over two years and in two phases, according to a statement from the organizations.
The first phase will begin with the IBM Garage, IBM’s methodology for accelerating digital transformation and delivering measurable outcomes.
Next, during the Development and Implementation phase, IBM experts will configure resources and technology to help participants scale innovation.
“This new IBM Impact Accelerator cohort shows what’s possible when we combine our tools with local insight to build stronger, more sustainable systems,” remarked Nixon-Saintil.
Founded in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company, IBM launched the Impact Accelerator in 2022.
Polytechnique Montréal was established in 1873.