Our new collaboration on AI

We’re pleased to announce an exciting engagement with the Vector Institute! OMERS is the first pension plan to join forces with Vector, building on Artificial Intelligence progress underway across the enterprise.

Monique Allen, our Executive Vice President, Data & Technology, said, “In the last few years, we have made great progress in leveraging data and technology and there is strong appetite to continue to build on our ability to harness the power of data and insights to support growth and value for our members.” Monique added, “Our work with the Vector Institute will enable us to more fully explore and act on opportunities to use machine learning and AI more broadly to innovate and lead for the future.”

Established in 2017, the Vector Institute works with industry, institutions, startups, and government to advance AI research and drive its application, adoption, and commercialization across Canada. Vector’s scientific network currently includes more than 600 active researchers and practitioners from across Canada with expertise in machine learning and deep learning, including many who specialize in applied AI and claim top prizes from the world’s most important conferences and journals.

This engagement with the Vector Institute is a natural complement to the work that has already been done at OMERS. In 2020, we established an internal AI Centre of Expertise to guide and drive development in this area. Existing work in AI and machine learning has led to generating portfolio insights, optimization of business processes, deploying AI in a responsible and ethical manner and advancing Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) goals. OMERS is also in the process of introducing a Data and AI Academy to increase employee skill development and experience in this area.

You can learn more about the partnership here. We’ll keep you posted!