Robert Myers
At Perimeter Institute, we embrace a moonshot mentality—a relentless pursuit of the (nearly) impossible. As Director, I consider myself fortunate to lead an exceptional group of explorers on an extraordinary journey of discovery. Together, we delve into the deepest mysteries of the universe, navigating the intricacies of the quantum realm and unraveling the complexity of the vast cosmos. We share the conviction that fundamental research is the foundation on which the future is built.
Our goal is not just to explore, but to achieve breakthroughs that will reshape our understanding of the universe and propel us into uncharted territories of profound new knowledge. It is this new knowledge that will drive innovations with the power to transform the lives of future generations.
This report showcases some of the great strides our researchers are making with groundbreaking work on detecting primordial neutrinos, developing new techniques to unveil phase transitions, exploring links between quantum gravity and quantum cryptography, and achieving precise measurements through quantum error correction.
The world finds itself in the midst of a revolution in quantum science and technology. In this moment, investing in this area is not merely a prudent choice but is unequivocally essential to secure Canada’s place in the quantum future. This was Minister François-Philippe Champagne’s clear message when he announced the federal government’s National Quantum Strategy at Perimeter in January.
“Quantum” hasn’t always been the sure bet it is today. But almost twenty-five years ago when Mike Lazaridis made the donation that founded Perimeter, he had his eye on the potential of quantum for the future of Canada and humanity. Therefore, research areas such as quantum information and quantum foundations have been core to Perimeter since the beginning and are already on the verge of yielding major returns.
History has taught us that most of the really great discoveries of science – the ideas that have truly changed the world – were made by inquisitive men and women who had no specific practical end in mind. Mike Lazaridis saw curiosity-driven breakthroughs in theoretical physics as the force behind world-changing innovations, including his own – the BlackBerry. He envisioned Perimeter as the place where new generations of breakthroughs would emerge – the ones that will shape the lives of our grandchildren, and their grandchildren after them.
Our governments, both federal and provincial, have embraced this vision with their unwavering support of our mission. It’s the outlook that our ever-growing family of private donors also share. This three-fold support from two levels of government as well as private donors has always been an essential element in Perimeter’s success.
It’s a vision that Mike Lazaridis remains excited about. This year, he challenged other private partners to join him in supporting the next phase of Perimeter’s growth, offering up to $30 million in matching funds for new donations to attract even more extraordinary talent and catalyze even deeper new discoveries.
Of course, our work at Perimeter would be impossible without this steadfast support. We are extremely grateful to Mike and all our partners for their commitment to advancing the mission of what is now a world-class institute for research, training, and outreach.
One of the remarkable aspects of our journey of discovery is the vastness of the unknown. The more we explore, the more we realize there are still so many new things to discover. Therefore, we embrace the excitement of the undiscovered and eagerly anticipate the breakthroughs that await us on our extraordinary journey.
Together with government and private sector supporters, we are laying the foundation for a brighter future. We dig deep today so that we can build high tomorrow.
