Rome, September 11, 2025 – Today, the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) and the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) signed a framework agreement at the INFN Presidency headquarters in Rome to promote collaboration between the two institutions in the development, management, and strategic planning of research infrastructure. The agreement between INFN and CFI represents another concrete step toward the implementation of the Italy-Canada Roadmap for Enhanced Cooperation, signed in 2024 and confirmed in 2025 by the respective Prime Ministers.
“The agreement just signed between the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics and the Canada Foundation for Innovation”, emphasised Antonio Zoccoli, INFN President, “confirms the importance of long-standing scientific collaborations between our two countries in the field of fundamental physics, such as the DarkSide project at the INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratories. It also represents a tool for realising shared visions, such as the enhancing of large research infrastructures, a resource for science and society, and the drive for innovation that both our institutions cultivate by vocation and mission”.
“Today’s MOU signing highlights the strong collaboration already in place between CFI and INFN”, said CFI President Sylvain Charbonneau. “This agreement builds on the complementary strengths of Canada’s SNOLab and Italy’s Gran Sasso National Laboratories, while expanding cooperation into emerging areas of technology, including quantum science, light and radioactivity detection, artificial intelligence, and their applications for the benefit of society”.
The agreement is rooted in the Italian Presidency of the G7 in 2024, followed by the Canadian Presidency in 2025. The INFN delegation’s visit to Canada last March was a decisive moment in the development of this collaboration. During the meetings in Ottawa, major projects in fundamental physics, as well as quantum technologies and artificial intelligence, were discussed.
The framework agreement, signed today by INFN President Antonio Zoccoli and CFI President Sylvain Charbonneau, provides for the exchange of best practices, support for major international infrastructures, joint participation in meetings and strategic discussions, the exchange of researchers, as well as expert technical and administrative staff, the promotion of training activities, and collaboration in key scientific fields, such as accelerator physics, neutrino physics, the search for dark matter, the study of gravitational waves, theoretical physics, and quantum technologies. To foster these opportunities, INFN and CFI will promote joint participation in international experiments, particularly at national laboratories in Italy and Canada, the organisation of bilateral meetings, workshops, seminars, and conferences, and shared initiatives for international research infrastructures. They will also prepare joint reports and exchange information, data, and experiences on key programs and activities.
Deputy Ambassador of Canada to Italy, Jeremy Adler, was present at the ceremony, demonstrating the Canadian Embassy’s commitment to developing bilateral agreements between the two countries in strategic sectors.
Photos of the agreement signing ceremony are available at this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1v6wWrS4bmj1u1qNZMmX4mRVGRnZbRldk?usp=sharing.
For more information
National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), Antonella Varaschin, antonella.varaschin@presid.infn.it
Embassy of Canada to Italy, rome-pa@international.gc.ca
Canada Foundation for Innovation, Sara Frizzell, sara.frizzell@innovation.ca
