The global semiconductor market is expected to expand from US$500 billion in 2020 to US$695 billion by 2025.
Canada is seeking to position itself as a global supplier of semiconductors, which it considers crucial for security, economy, and technological progress.
“Semiconductors are at the centre of Canadians’ daily lives and Canada’s economy,” says François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry.
Champagne this month announced an investment of $120 million in a $220 million project led by CMC Microsystems, a Canadian nonprofit organization accelerating research and innovation in advanced technologies.
“We have an innovative semiconductor industry that continues to flourish in global markets and capitalize on an increasingly digital and green economy,” the federal minister stated.
The investment, made through the Strategic Innovation Fund, will support the creation of a pan-Canadian network bringing together stakeholders from a range of fields to support the design, manufacturing, and commercialization of semiconductors.
Specifically, CMC will support the creation of the Fabrication of Integrated Components for the Internet’s Edge network—or FABrIC—which will operate alongside CMC’s partners across Canada.
“FABrIC provides Canadian entrepreneurs and researchers with essential resources to foster innovation and develop cutting-edge semiconductor products and manufacturing processes in Canada,” posits CMC chief Gordon Harling.
Over the next five years, the FABrIC network is forecast to create more than 300 highly skilled jobs across Canada and maintain an estimated 440 jobs for the duration of the project.
“We have world-class semiconductor talent and manufacturing capabilities in Canada,” Harling said, “and ISED’s strategic investment in FABrIC will enable Canadian innovators to be competitive in the global semiconductor industry.”
“The creation of FABrIC through CMC will help support Canadian innovators, and I look forward to seeing how it expands our semiconductor industry while creating good jobs,” added Champagne. “By investing in semiconductors today, we are investing in economic security and sustainability for all Canadians.”
CMC was established in 1984.
