More than 80 researchers, students and industry representatives from Canada, Japan, France, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States gathered in Montreal from July 28 to 31 for the 4th CEMDI-PAIMS Symposium, an international event focused on advancing data-driven materials design and discovery.
Led by Professor Kulbir Ghuman of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), holder of the Canada Research Chair in Computational Materials Design for Energy and Environmental Applications , the 2026 edition of the symposium was held on the campus of McGill University.
Organized under the theme “Advancing Data, Material Design, and Discovery,” the four-day event explored how advances in computational modeling, artificial intelligence, and data-driven approaches are accelerating the discovery and design of next-generation materials for energy and environmental applications.
A growing Canada-Japan scientific partnership
Launched in 2021 through the Computational Energy Materials Design Infrastructure (CEMDI) at INRS, the symposium has grown into a flagship Canada-Japan initiative organized in partnership with the Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence in Materials Science (PAIMS) networkof Japan. The meeting is now held alternately in Canada and Japan, fostering international collaboration in emerging areas of materials research.
Over four days, participants explored advances in computational modeling, artificial intelligence, data-driven materials discovery, and the development of functional materials for energy and environmental applications. The program included scientific presentations, hands-on workshops for students and early-career researchers, networking activities, and discussions on career development and inclusion in the natural sciences and engineering.
“Bringing together experts from materials science, artificial intelligence, data science and engineering creates opportunities for innovation that no single discipline can achieve alone. The continued growth of the CEMDI-PAIMS Symposium reflects the importance of international collaboration in accelerating the discovery of materials needed to address pressing energy and environmental challenges,” says Kulbir Ghuman, Professor at INRS who specialises in computational Materials Design
A panel discussion on career pathways and inclusion in the physical sciences, organized as part of the Quebec Chair for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Science and Engineering , also brought together representatives from academia, industry, and funding agencies. The discussion focused on mentorship, professional development, and strategies for building a more inclusive scientific community.
Participants also had the opportunity to experience INRS’s world-class research environment through laboratory tours at the INRS Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications Research Centre, led by Professor Mohamed Chaker. The visits showcased some of Quebec’s most sophisticated research facilities, including the Laboratory of Micro and Nanofabrication (LMN) , the Advanced Laser Light Source (ALLS) , and the Dynamic Transmission Electron Microscope (DTEM). Beyond discovering cutting-edge infrastructure, participants engaged in valuable discussions with researchers, students, and industry representatives.
Hands-on tutorial workshops led by Professors Aleksandar Staykov (Kyushu University, Japan), Gabriel Antonius (Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières), and Shervin Vakili (INRS), made possible through the support of Calcul Québec, combined with networking activities supported by PRIMA and the Quebec–Japan Business Forum, helped foster new international and interdisciplinary collaborations among academic and industry professionals from Canada and Japan.
The next edition of the CEMDI-PAIMS Symposium will be held in Kyoto, Japan, continuing the growing scientific partnership between the two countries.
For more information, please visit: CEMDI - Computational Energy Materials Design Infrastructure