BROMONT, QC, CANADA--The Canadian and Québec governments awarded almost $165 million dollars to Université de Sherbrooke (www.usherbrooke.ca) in the Province of Quebec to build the Centre d’innovation en microélectronique in partnership with IBM Canada (www.can.ibm.com) and DALSA Semiconductor (www.dalsa.com). The microelectronics center is part of a planned investment of more than $203 million total from the Knowledge Infrastructure Program (www.ic.gc.ca/infrastructure-savoir)--a $1.86 billion dollar, Canadian two-year initiative that aims to upgrade infrastructures in colleges and universities and stimulate the economy.
Of the $203 million dollar investment, Industry Canada is contributing $77.0 million, Ministè re du Développement économique, de l’Innovation et de l’Exportation, $88.1 million, and the industrial partners IBM Bromont, DALSA Semiconductors, and equipment suppliers $37.7 million. The project aims to create an international center of excellence for assembling electronic microchips and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). The center will carry out research and development in Technoparc Bromont on packaging microsystems and electronic microchips. This project will bring together 250 industry and university researchers and safeguard over 3,000 jobs in the field of microelectronics in Québec.
The project will also help create a true microelectronics cluster in Québec, which will fit very strategically into the northeastern North America microelectronics corridor, stretching from East Fishkill in New York State to Bromont and representing 35,000 jobs.
“This announcement stems from months of work involving Université de Sherbrooke and entrepreneurs in the sector, as well as a number of other actors, including the Québec government. The project marks the birth of a value chain that could eventually match the Québec economy’s flagship innovation sectors--life sciences, aerospace, and computer technologies. The project will reinforce the excellence of publicly funded research in Québec,” said Minister Clément Gignac.
“IBM has an impressive track record in microelectronics innovation, and Bromont is just one of numerous achievements in this field. In the new center for innovation, our competent, experienced staff will work with our partners in defining the future of microelectronics and strengthening Québec’s and Canada’s position in the forefront of the global technology industry,” said Dan Fortin, CEO of IBM Canada.
“Innovation has played a fundamental role in DALSA’s past successes and is just as important to our future achievements,” said DALSA CEO Brian Doody. “So we are delighted to be a founding partner of the 200 mm and 3-D microelectronic systems (MEMS) manufacturing unit at the new innovation center.”
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