Ranovus Commits to C$100M Investment in Ottawa Facility
On August 20th, Ranovus announced a C$100 million investment to develop and manufacture semiconductors at its Ottawa facility, expanding Ontario’s chip manufacturing capacity. In recent years, the Ontario government has pledged its support for expanding the province’s semiconductor sector, and it is providing Ranovus with a C$2 million grant through the Invest Ontario Fund as part of this investment. The move follows an open-letter signed by 75 Ontario CEOs that called on Ontario Premier Doug Ford to prioritize homegrown innovation.
Ranovus, an Ontario-based company, develops optical interconnects, a type of semiconductor that can be used to improve the efficiency of data centres and power high-performance computing systems.
The Ontario affairs director for the Council of Canadian Innovators, Skaidra Puodžiūnas, said in a statement that the Ontario government’s investment in a Canadian manufacturer was “encouraging” and a step toward growing Ontario’s tech industry.
Semiconductors will serve a central role in the future of Canada’s economy, as the chips are heralded as the building blocks for integral parts of the digital economy, like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, quantum sensors and other emerging technologies. A robust semiconductor industry in Canada will also support the fight against climate change as new low carbon technologies will require advanced semiconductors. In addition, new investments in this sector will increase Canada’s domestic capabilities and will reduce the reliance on foreign supply chains.
In 2023, Ranovus received C$36 million in funding from the federal government through the Strategic Innovation Fund. As part of the deal, Ranovus committed to hiring 150 Canadian co-op students, incentivizing top talent from science and technology programs at Canadian universities to stay and work in Canada rather than seek opportunities in foreign tech markets.
As other jurisdictions like the US and EU take steps to bolster their domestic chip manufacturing capabilities, it will be important for Canada to develop global partnerships based on shared goals, while protecting Canadian innovation and jobs.
Author: Jack Borins, 2025/2026 Articling Student-At-Law
Photo Credit: https://unsplash.com/@maxence_pira
Photo Credit: https://unsplash.com/@maxence_pira
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