World leaders in wafer and microelectronic subsystem assembly have chosen Québec for its strong government support and industry knowledge through the whole value chain particularly in advanced packaging assembly and Microelectronic subsystem assembly. Examples of microelectronics companies located in Québec include IBM, ABB, and Teledyne DALSA.
Smart electronic systems is a booming sector in Québec. Over 86% of companies export their production benefiting from Canada's 15 free trade agreements. The industry is highly integrated in regional synergies with several other key sectors including aerospace, with Québec's six prime contractors and nearly 15 world-class OEM integrators, but also automobile for which this part of the Americas is famous.
These synergies have prompted the birth of an innovation zone in the city of Bromont strategically located in the North-East Corridor. Québec sits within America's semiconductor material industry, boosted by the CHIPS Act. 60+ new semiconductor ecosystem projects were announced across the US, including 23 new chip fabs and the expansions of 9 fabs mainly in the state of New York. The Québec-U.S. cross-border North-East corridor thus hosts an integrated semiconductors supply chain with facilities involved in chip design, manufacturing, and R&D.
In Canada, Bromont has the highest concentration of jobs in microelectronics and clean rooms. The presence of world leaders, such as IBM, Teledyne DALSA, Fabritec, and GE Aviation, is a testament to the region's traction in the sector. IBM's plant in Bromont is "the largest semiconductor packaging and testing facility in North America." The companies also benefit from green energy from the hydroelectric powerhouse.
The zone is reinforced by the presence of organizations reflective of the collaborative mindset. Technum Québec implements tools and processes to increase innovations, commercialization, exports, and collaborations to stimulate technology transfers between economic players in the zone.
C2MI MiQro Innovation Collaborative Centre, on the other hand, is the largest electronic systems R&D center in Canada. It represents an essential link between applied research and commercialization specializing in MEMS manufacturing, advanced semiconductor assembly, compound semiconductors and electronic systems, and printable electronics. Finally, CMC Microsystem, a not-for-profit organization, provides access to the world's best design tools, manufacturing technologies, and engineering support for making micro-nanotechnologies, and for training industry-ready graduates.
Québec's rising positioning is a true reflection of industry partnership with governments. Generous public incentive programs have been implemented to propel the strategic sector among others. At the federal level, the FABrIC initiative has focused on highlighting the niche technologies already present in Canada to grow from competitive advantages. These technologies include silicon photonics, mechanical systems (MEMS), compound semiconductors, and superconducting quantum devices.
More synergies take place horizontally across industries. Montreal is home to the world's largest research center in deep learning: the Mila. AI's already crucial integration with semiconductor manufacturing will grow in every step of the supply chain as shrinking components introduce novel challenges. This is why Mila has been collaborating with companies toward AI-infused electronic design automation (EDA).
Invest Québec, the financial arm and economic development agency of the Québec government has been playing a major role in the promotion of strategic collaboration. The organization has over 1,300 employees working out of 17 offices across Québec and 12 more around the world. Their teams have been working very closely with foreign companies from Asia and other parts of the world, in setting up their projects in Québec while connecting them with the right local actors both in AI and microelectronics.
To learn more about what Québec's ecosystem can bring to your business contact Rachel Yin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-yin/). Info@Invest-Quebec.com
