Small Chips, Big Crunch.
Not the kind you grab at lunch. Ottawa’s semiconductor industry has been powering global networks, AI systems, and secure infrastructure for over 50 years. The kind of chips built for performance, precision, and reliability that everyone is hungry for.
Overview
Not Just Chips. The Whole Stack.
Ottawa doesn’t just design semiconductors. We’ve built the ecosystem around them. Ottawa is one of the few places in North America with an integrated compound semiconductor supply chain, from chip design to fabrication, prototyping, packaging, and testing. At the centre of it is the Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre, the country’s only end-to-end compound semiconductor foundry, helping companies move from concept to commercialization under one roof.
Crunch Time
By the Numbers
Ottawa’s semiconductor ecosystem strengths show up in the scale of its talent, research, and real-world impact.
Ciena
Research and Development headquarters
50 +
years of semiconductor research and design expertise
Proximity to Federal Agencies and Regulators
Sanmina
Headquarters of Sanmina’s Advanced Microsystems Technologies Division
CPFC
a pure play compound semiconductor foundry specializing III-IV semiconductors
Next-generation chips
From Labs to Cabs
Ottawa is packed with places to build, and just as many ways to prove it works. With 65+ federal research labs, including the National Research Council, companies can move from design to fabrication, prototyping, and testing without leaving the region. That proximity shows up in the pace. Chips aren’t developed in isolation. They’re built alongside the networks, vehicles, and secure systems they power, tested early, and refined quickly to get to market faster.
Key Strengths
Why Semiconductor Companies Choose Ottawa
Compound Advantage
Silicon isn’t always enough. Ottawa is a North American leader in compound semiconductors and photonics, with assets like the Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre and deep expertise in III-V materials. The kind of capability you don’t spin up overnight.
Customers Around the Corner
You don’t have to guess where your chip ends up. Global telecom leaders, defence organizations, and AI companies are already here. That proximity means tighter feedback loops, faster validation, and products built with real requirements in mind.
Everything, Within Reach
Design. Fabrication. Testing. Deployment. Ottawa’s integrated ecosystem means fewer handoffs and faster cycles from concept to commercialization. What takes multiple regions elsewhere can happen in one place here.
Not Their First Chip
This isn’t a fresh talent pool. It’s one shaped by decades of telecom, defence, and embedded systems. Engineers here have built the networks, platforms, and infrastructure the world still runs on. Which means they don’t just design chips, they design for real-world performance from day one.
Semiconductor Companies
Global Leaders and Innovators
Ottawa is home to a mix of multinational semiconductor leaders and highly specialized design and materials companies.
Ecosystem
A Connected Semiconductor Network
Semiconductor companies in Ottawa are supported by a collaborative ecosystem spanning research, talent development, and commercialization.
Research and Institutions
NRC, university research labs, federal facilities
Technology Parks
Kanata North Technology Park
Industry and Partners
Design houses, system integrators, and global OEMs
Support Organizations
Invest Ottawa, Area X.O, sector accelerators
Incentives & Subsidies
Programs That Support Advanced Semiconductor R&D
Companies developing semiconductor technologies in Ottawa can access competitive incentives that support research, prototyping, and commercialization.
Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) Tax Incentive
Refundable tax credits and deductions for eligible semiconductor research, design, and development activities.
Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF)
Supports large-scale semiconductor innovation projects with national or global impact.
National Research Council – Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP)
Funding and advisory support to help semiconductor SMEs advance new designs, materials, and prototypes.
Ontario Innovation Tax Credit (OITC)
An 8% refundable tax credit on eligible R&D performed in Ontario, stackable with SR&ED.
In Case You Missed It
Chips on the Table
The latest moves from Ottawa’s semiconductor sector, from major investments and facility expansions to breakthroughs in photonics, AI infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing. This is where the bets are being made. And built.
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Talk to Our Semiconductors Specialist
Tell us about your plans. Our team can help you explore talent, research partnerships, and opportunities within Ottawa’s semiconductor ecosystem.
