Ericsson Canada and the University of Toronto (U of T) have created a multi-year partnership to accelerate innovation, research and development in what Ericsson believes will be the next generation of AI-powered mobile communications technologies.

Under the initial three-year framework agreement, Ericsson will invest $1 million to "advance the technological infrastructure that underlies wireless communications, strengthening the Canadian R&D ecosystem."

"This partnership represents a strategic investment in Canada's innovation ecosystem, advancing world-class research, developing highly skilled talent, and strengthening the foundation for secure and reliable next-generation wireless technologies," said Nishant Grover, president of Ericsson Canada, in a release about the partnership. "As 5G continues to transform industries and societies, and as we look ahead to 6G, Ericsson and the University of Toronto are working together to help shape the future of connectivity in Canada and globally."

The partnership was awarded to U of T following a formal process performed by Ericsson to identify a university partner whose strengths, culture and capabilities align to Ericsson's commitment to innovation, research and collaboration.

Investing in Canadian-based R&D

"We're very proud that U of T has been successful in being selected in this process. We have a long and positive track record of catalyzing next generation technology with Ericsson, and with these types of industrial collaborations in general,” said professor Leah Cowen, vice-president, research and innovation, University of Toronto in a media release. “It's a win-win proposition, enabling us to apply the expertise of our researchers, enhance the skills of our students, and elevate the global competitiveness of a major global technology innovator with major R&D operations right here in our own backyard.

"This strategic partnership is a great opportunity to take things to the next level.”

The partnership with U of T will focus on developing strategies to solve real-world research problems through industry-linked projects. It will also advance mobile communications, mobile computing and synergistic machine learning technologies. 

"This partnership will foster cutting-edge research, develop world-class talent, and support the creation of secure and reliable technologies for the future of wireless communications," said Marcos Cavaletti, head of Ericsson's Ottawa site, in the release. "As 5G continues to drive profound changes across industries and societies, Ericsson and the University of Toronto are committed to tackling these challenges together."

This partnership with U of T is not the first such collaboration between Ericsson and a Canadian university.

In 2025, Ericsson announced the continuation of its long-standing collaboration with Concordia University to advance research on secure cloud-native telecommunications networks. The goal is to improve the resilience of mobile networks in Canada and further drive development of critical technologies like 5G, 6G, cybersecurity, AI and cloud computing.

"As a trusted ecosystem partner, Ericsson Canada is committed to leading the development of secure, resilient and future-ready mobile networks," Grover said in the announcement of its work with Concordia University.