Canadian government announces $240M investment in semiconductor and photonics industries

Innovation, Science and Industry Minister François‑Philippe Champagne announced the Semiconductor Challenge Callout on February 28, seeking ambitious, transformative proposals from businesses in the priority areas of research, commercialization and expanded semiconductor manufacturing capacity. Through the Strategic Innovation Fund, the government is making targeted investments of $150 million to build on the nation’s domestic strengths associated with the development and supply of semiconductors.

The minister also announced $90 million in funding for the National Research Council of Canada’s Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre (CPFC).

The Challenge announced by the minister showcases Canada’s initial commitment to investing in innovation projects that will help strengthen and scale up the innovative semiconductor ecosystem in the country.

These innovative projects will help the Canadian semiconductor industry enhance its role in the integrated North American information and communications technology supply chain.

The investment in the CPFC will be fuelled towards equipment upgrades. These upgrades will improve the centre’s capacity and capability to address the ever-increasing complexity of leading-edge technology being brought to market by its clients.

The CPFC is the only compound semiconductor foundry in North America that is publicly operated and open to all for use.

It delivers impactful photonics device fabrication services to the research and private sectors, helping to grow many Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises in such industries as telecommunications, environmental sensing, automotive, defence and aerospace.