IBM has signed agreements with the Canadian and Quebec governments to expand its chip packaging capacity in Canada.
The tech company said the deals represent a total investment of $137 million in the country’s semiconductor industry.
According to Dario Gil, senior vice president and research director at IBM, the partnership intends to build a stronger and more balanced semiconductor ecosystem in North America.
“As one of the largest chip assembly and testing facilities in North America, IBM’s Bromont facility will play a central role in this future,” he noted.
Jamie Thomas, general manager of technology life cycle services at IBM, told The Business Times that the project is envisioned to establish a full supply chain for producing and packaging processors within Canada.
Under the deal, IBM will work to advance the Bromont plant’s capabilities and conduct parallel research and development efforts to develop new methods of packaging different chip technologies. It said it expects the R&D project to deepen Canada’s role in the North American semiconductor supply chain.
The agreements will also facilitate IBM’s collaboration with small Canadian companies to prepare the country’s semiconductor ecosystem for technological innovations.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hailed the initiative as a “massive win for Canada.”
“It will create high-paying jobs, invest in innovation, strengthen supply chains and help make sure the most advanced technologies are Canadian-made,” the premier said In a statement.
