A recent addition to the Kanata North tech park has received a multimillion-dollar funding round from the federal government to increase the reach of its national design program.
CMC Microsystems, which opened an R&D office at 400 March Rd. in February, announced it is receiving $18.3 million over the next three years from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), which will go towards supporting microtechnology research in Canada.
The company’s National Design Network connects universities, colleges and researchers across the country with the software they need to develop innovations in nanotechnology. The products are then used in developing other technologies such as biomedical diagnostic tools and 5G.
“This welcomed investment in the facility comes at the right time as innovation in microelectronics, photonics, sensors, and mobile computing are foundational for advances in Canada’s digital economy,” said CMC president Gord Harling. “Researchers need access to state-of-the-art tools at affordable rates to explore research challenges and develop innovative products. That’s what our facility does for them.”
Last year, the network helped to launch 20 startup companies and assisted more than 10,000 researchers in accessing software needed to get their projects off the ground.