www.theglobeandmail.com, Jul. 03, 2023 –
A renaissance is under way in Canada's semiconductor industry, with companies attracting hundreds of millions of dollars in investment to build the future of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and electric vehicle hardware.
While still short of its former glory, the industry is growing. But it is also puzzling over what direction that growth should take.
Semiconductors are physical components that control the flow of electric current in microchips, which are essential to almost every electronic device, from LED light bulbs and blenders to EVs and rocket ships.
The industry includes manufacturers that operate fabrication plants (commonly called fabs), design companies known as fabless firms, as well as those that package, test and integrate chips into proprietary products.