Sanofi invests US$294m to expand AI Center of Excellence in Toronto
Sanofi is investing US$294m to expand its AI centre in Toronto, creating 50 new high-skilled jobs in AI and machine learning.
The biopharma company will use the funding to grow its global AI Centre of Excellence (COE), which was established in downtown Toronto in 2022. The expansion builds on more than 150 roles created at the centre in four years.
The new positions will lead the design and deployment of advanced AI tools used across Sanofi’s global research, manufacturing and business operations, the company said.
The expansion will be supported by a conditional grant of up to US$5m from the Invest Ontario Fund, which recognises Sanofi’s long-term commitment to Ontario’s innovation ecosystem.
Dimitrije Jankovic, Sanofi’s global head of digital strategy and operations, said: “With local biopharma expertise and a world-class AI talent pool in Toronto, we are developing made-in-Canada solutions that are being scaled to operations across the globe.”
He added: “We appreciate the partnership with the Province of Ontario.”
Jankovic said the support would help the company continue its growth and “create tremendous opportunities for AI talent to join us in transforming healthcare”.
Sanofi said the expansion would extend new global AI mandates and long-term leadership roles to Ontario, demonstrating growing international confidence in the province’s ability to support large-scale innovation within global organisations.
Doug Ford, the Ontario premier, said: “Our government is proud to welcome this exciting new investment and to support Sanofi as they continue expanding their footprint here in Ontario.”
He added: “Today’s announcement is a clear demonstration of Sanofi’s confidence in our world-class STEM workers and ensures they will continue to play a central role as we make Ontario a global hub for the development of cutting-edge technologies.”
Vic Fedeli, the minister of economic development, job creation and trade, said: “Sanofi’s investment is a testament to Ontario’s leadership in the AI and life sciences sectors, reinforcing our reputation as the best place to innovate, scale, and succeed.”
He added: “We look forward to seeing Sanofi continue to grow in the province, creating good-paying jobs for our workers and producing essential medicines and vaccines for Canada and the world.”
Sylvia Jones, the minister of health, said: “Sanofi’s Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence expansion advances technologies that can transform patient outcomes and enhance our health-care system.”
She added: “This investment will create long-term economic opportunity while delivering tangible health benefits for families across the province and the country, including support for life sciences work that enables Sanofi to protect millions of Canadians from infectious disease through vaccine production, alongside other innovative research and development initiatives.”
Olivia Chow, the Toronto mayor, said: “Toronto is proud to welcome this new investment from Sanofi. Our world-class AI talent, strong life sciences sector, and dynamic innovation community make Toronto a natural destination for companies that want to grow and lead.”
She added: “We look forward to seeing Sanofi continue to expand and contribute to the strength of our city and to better health outcomes for people here and around the world.”
The Toronto AI COE brings together data, AI, scientific, manufacturing and product teams to work across the full life sciences value chain. The company said tools developed there can be scaled across more than 90 countries.
Emmanuel Frenehard, Sanofi’s chief digital officer, said: “AI is woven into the fabric of how we discover, develop, produce, launch, and support innovative therapies at Sanofi. Our Toronto AI COE exemplifies how we’re harnessing artificial intelligence, accelerating our mission to halve the time from discovery to delivery of innovative treatments.”
He added: “Our investments in Canada are building the foundation for the next generation of breakthrough medicines and vaccines.”
The 50 new permanent Ontario-based roles will be created by 2028, alongside the expansion of the COE’s downtown Toronto facilities and the growth of technology partnerships. The investment will also support Sanofi’s internship programme, which currently recruits more than 30 students annually from Ontario universities.
The expansion forms part of Sanofi’s wider commitment to Canada, which the company said includes more than US$2bn in new infrastructure investments by 2028 across its 52-acre Toronto campus. Sanofi said it supported 12,000 jobs across Canada in 2024 through direct and wider economic effects and contributed nearly US$2.02bn to Canadian GDP, with exports reaching 60 countries.
