Canada invests $120m to support semiconductor manufacturing and commercialization
Through ISED (Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada), the Canadian government is investing $120m into FABrIC (Fabrication of Integrated Components for the Internet’s Edge) network, which is a five-year project totalling over $220m to advance domestic semiconductor manufacturing and commercialization capabilities.
FABrIC is led by the not-for-profit research organization CMC Microsystems, which was founded in 1984 to accelerates research and innovation in advanced technologies, including microelectronics, photonics, micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and quantum software and hardware.
Investment will be provided via the new Strategic Innovation Fund, which builds on the commitment announced by Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US President Joe Biden in March 2023 to advance a cross-border semiconductor manufacturing corridor. The aim is to create a pan-Canadian network of leading stakeholders from an array of fields to support semiconductor design, manufacturing and commercialization, as well as develop cutting-edge intelligent sensor technology.
Canada aims to solidify its position in the supply of semiconductors, recognizing their importance for security, economic growth, and technological advancement, spanning industries including automotive, telecoms, and low-carbon technologies.
The FABrIC network
Supported by CMC, the FABrIC network aims to enhance Canada’s semiconductor and smart sensor industries, collaborating with CMC’s partners nationwide to:
- develop a highly skilled talent pool;
- promote innovation in semiconductor manufacturing; and
- provide Canadian businesses access to foundries.
Over the next five years, the FABrIC network aims to create nearly 325 highly skilled jobs and sustain around 440 positions throughout the project.
The network aims to bolster domestic semiconductor production, enhancing North American competitiveness and supply chain resilience.
FABrIC aims to not only support Canada’s economic growth but also foster national security and create quality middle-class jobs, ensuring a robust and resilient semiconductor supply chain across North America.
Canada’s semiconductor sector includes over 500 home-grown and multi-national companies conducting R&D on, and manufacturing of, semiconductors. This base includes over 100 design firms, 30 applied research laboratories and five commercial facilities in areas such as compound semiconductors, MEMS and advanced packaging.
“We have an innovative semiconductor industry that continues to flourish in global markets and capitalize on an increasingly digital and green economy,” comments François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. “The creation of FABrIC through CMC will help support Canadian innovators,” he adds. “By investing in semiconductors today, we are investing in economic security and sustainability.”
“FABrIC provides Canadian entrepreneurs and researchers with essential resources to foster innovation and develop cutting-edge semiconductor products and manufacturing processes in Canada,” says CMC’s president & CEO Gordon Harling. “We have world-class semiconductor talent and manufacturing capabilities in Canada, and ISED’s strategic investment in FABrIC will enable Canadian innovators to be competitive in the global semiconductor industry,” he adds. “Support for FABrIC secures Canada’s future in semiconductors and advanced manufacturing, and it will enable the development of new made-in-Canada semiconductor-based Internet of Things products and manufacturing options, creating a resilient and sustainable semiconductor ecosystem in Canada.”
