Dr. Mohammad Rahaman
Saint Mary's University’s Sobey School of Business continues to advance high-impact, policy-relevant research with a major national funding success.
Dr. Mohammad Rahaman, Canada Research Chair in International Finance and Competitiveness, has been awarded a prestigious Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada Insight Grant valued at $219,000 over three years (2026–2029).
The funded project, “Banking on Intelligence: The Role of Private Credit Markets in Advancing AI Investment, Innovation, and Productivity,” addresses one of Canada’s most pressing economic challenges: lagging business-sector productivity relative to other advanced economies.
Although Canada is a global leader in artificial intelligence research, firms have struggled to translate innovation into widespread productivity gains. AI adoption remains uneven and resource-intensive, requiring sustained investment in data infrastructure, R&D and talent.
This research introduces a new perspective by focusing on private credit markets, banks and non-bank lenders, the primary source of financing for most firms. The project will examine how access to credit shapes AI adoption, the economic channels linking financing to innovation, and how lenders act as governance mechanisms by disciplining misleading AI-related disclosures.
“This project is about understanding how we finance the future of the Canadian economy,” said Dr. Rahaman. “AI has enormous potential to drive productivity, but without the right financial infrastructure, that potential will remain unrealized. Our goal is to identify how credit markets can unlock that transformation.”
The research is conducted in collaboration with Dr. Najah Attig of Dalhousie University, highlighting strong regional partnerships within Atlantic Canada.
By combining large-scale financial datasets with advanced econometric and natural language processing techniques, the project aims to generate actionable insights for policymakers, financial institutions, and business leaders.
This award underscores Sobey School's commitment to rigorous, business-focused research that addresses real-world challenges, reinforcing its role as a leader in advancing Canada’s innovation and competitiveness agenda.