CFI funding fuels new services for researchers from CMC and CNDN

CMC Microsystems, a leading technology research support organization in Canada, has received funding through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and its Major Science Initiatives (MSI) fund. The funding totals $18.3M over three years from April 2020 to March 2023. 

These funds will enable CMC’s flagship program: Canada’s National Design Network (CNDN), which is hosted by Queen’s University and managed by CMC Microsystems.

Through the facility, CMC supports research in a variety of advanced micro-nanotechnologies including those related to biomedical diagnostics, the Internet of Things, products with embedded Artificial Intelligence and 5G.

In 2018-19 the network was used to:

• enable the launch of 20 technology start-ups,
• provide 10,000 researchers in Canada access to design tools, testing equipment and prototyping services, and
• train 800 graduate students and post-doctoral fellows who were hired by industry in Canada.

“This is important funding and will maintain a key asset for researchers in Canada”, says Gordon Mein, Chairman of the CMC Board of Directors. “The network provides fundamental support for innovation in our country both in terms of new technologies and in training highly skilled Canadians.”

“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,” adds Gordon Harling, president of CMC, “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.”