2026 Preliminary Program

7:30 - 8:30 AM | Registration & Networking Breakfast

Arrival, badge pickup, and informal networking ahead of the opening plenary.

8:30 - 9:10 AM | Welcome & Opening Remarks

9:10 - 10:30 AM | Optocomputing

Beyond silicon: electrons to photons

The separation of "electronics" and "optics" is a relic of the past that the AI era can no longer afford. As data center power consumption reaches a breaking point, the industry must move toward monolithic integration.

This session makes the case for an Electro-Photonic IC (EPIC) Cluster in Canada, anchored by the Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre (CPFC) as a Canadian-based pure play fab. Speakers will challenge the prevailing "plug-and-play" approach to optics and argue that the only path to sustaining the AI revolution is to treat light as a first-class citizen on the silicon wafer.



• The Death of the Plug: Why the future is 'co-packaged' and 'monolithic'
• The Economic Reality: How to drive down the cost-per-bit by 10x using architectural breakthroughs
• The North American Corridor: Why Canada and the US must unite to dominate the EPIC supply chain before global competitors close the gap

10:30 - 11:00 AM | Networking Break

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM | Fireside Chat with Jim Keller

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM | Fireside Chat

Speaker announcement coming soon.

12:00 - 1:30 PM | Lunch

1:30 - 2:30 PM | Defense & Dual Use

Security, supply chains, and strategic advantage

A focused discussion on dual-use semiconductor technologies, secure supply chains, and the role of industry in strengthening national and allied capabilities.

This panel focuses on several critical pillars:

• From Chips to Guns: How Canadian microelectronics companies could become part of the build up of Canadian defense capabilities, be visible in the procurement process and have a "seat at the table".
• Dual-Use Innovation: Identifying commercial semiconductor advancements (such as AI chips and compound semiconductors) that have direct applications in military defense and intelligence.
• Geopolitics & Trade: Navigating export controls, ITAR regulations, and international partnerships (such as the EU-Canada defense industrial cooperation).
• Security of Supply: Ensuring that the chips powering critical infrastructure remain resilient against global disruptions.

1:30 - 2:30 PM | Investing in Canada's Semiconductor Advantage

In partnership with the Ottawa Tech Investment Summit

This breakout session brings together investors, industry leaders, and founders to explore Canada’s emerging semiconductor and photonics investment opportunities, examining where domestic capabilities align with scalable commercial growth across the value chain. As global supply chains rebalance and governments prioritize trusted technology ecosystems, Canada is well positioned in compound semiconductors, photonics, advanced design, manufacturing, and system-level innovation.

The session opens with the panel “From Ground to Chip,” featuring leading private investors alongside venture and strategic investment arms of global semiconductor companies, examining how capital is being deployed across the value chain and where Canada is uniquely positioned to lead.The discussion will be complemented by two company presentations.

• From Ground to Chip: Investment opportunities across the semiconductor value chain, from critical materials and IP to finished devices and systems.
• Capital Deployment & Market Signals: How private, strategic, and venture capital is being deployed—and where near- and mid-term growth opportunities are emerging.
• Commercialization Pathways: How Canadian companies move from innovation to scale, including customer pull, manufacturing readiness, and system integration.
• Resilient Supply Chains: How domestic capabilities can reduce reliance on fragile global inputs while strengthening long-term competitiveness.

2:30 - 3:00 PM | Networking Break

3:00 - 4:10 PM | AI Chips

Where are we going — and how do we get there?

A strategic discussion on Canada’s path from AI research strength to domestic AI hardware capability—covering supply, energy constraints, advanced packaging, and trusted deployment at scale.

• National AI Supply Chain: Integrating Canadian-designed accelerators into domestic data centers, and reducing dependence on externally allocated hardware.
• The Energy-Compute Nexus: Aligning chip efficiency, data center deployment, and provincial grid capacity as power becomes the defining constraint.
• Advanced Packaging as a Back Door to Manufacturing: Using chiplets and heterogeneous integration to build Canadian relevance without a leading-edge foundry.
• Trusted & Quantum-Ready AI Hardware: Embedding hardware and post-quantum readiness into AI chips used for government, defence, and critical infrastructure.

4:10 - 4:50 PM | Closing Plenary

What Canada Should Do Next

A moderated synthesis bringing together insights from each Executive Breakout Session to identify:

• Common themes and divergences
• National priorities and near-term actions
• Strategic direction moving forward

4:50 - 5:00 PM | Closing Remarks

5:00 - 7:00 PM | Cocktail Reception

Relaxed networking to continue conversations and build connections following the day's program.

7:00 - 9:00 PM | Semiconductor Achievement Awards Dinner

Celebrating excellence in Canada's semiconductor sector

An elegant evening honouring leaders and organizations shaping Canada’s semiconductor sector, featuring a refined dinner program and networking opportunities.

Separate ticket required.



9:00 AM - 12:00 PM |  Industry Tours

Exclusive site visits of Canada’s largest technology park, hosted in partnership with the Kanata North Business Association:
 

TÜV SÜD
TÜV SÜD’s Ottawa laboratory provides testing, certification, and validation services for advanced electronic and semiconductor systems. The facility supports companies in meeting global regulatory standards, ensuring product safety, reliability, and performance. With expertise in electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), wireless testing, and environmental validation, TÜV SÜD plays a critical role in enabling technologies to move from development to global markets.

Ranovus
Ranovus is a leader in silicon photonics, developing next-generation optical interconnect solutions for AI, cloud, and data center infrastructure. Its technology enables high-bandwidth, energy-efficient data transfer by integrating photonics directly into semiconductor platforms. Ranovus is at the forefront of addressing the performance and power challenges of modern computing systems.

Syntronic
Syntronic is a global engineering design house specializing in advanced product development across telecommunications, semiconductors, and embedded systems. At its Kanata site, Syntronic supports customers with end-to-end design services—from hardware and FPGA development to system integration and validation. The team works closely with leading technology companies to bring complex, high-performance systems from concept to deployment.

Jabil
Jabil Ottawa’s facility focuses on silicon photonics and advanced semiconductor packaging. It enables customers to accelerate the development of high-speed chips for AI and data center applications by providing capabilities across design, prototyping, and testing. The site supports new product introductions (NPIs) from concept through to high-volume production, including advanced processes such as fluxless flip-chip, fiber attachment, and wire bonding.

Limited capacity. Advance registration required.

12:00 - 1:00 PM |  CSC Manufacturing Working Group Launch Reception

Refreshment Sponsor: Carbon To Metal Coating Institute (C2MCI)

Join leaders from across Canada’s semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem for a reception ahead of the inaugural CSC Manufacturing Working Group meeting, where participants will identify key industry challenges and help define the group’s priorities and mandate.

Light lunch and informal discussion.

1:00 - 5:00 PM | CSC Working Group Meetings

In-person meetings for members and invited guests of CSC's Automotive Microchips, Talent & Workforce Development, and AI Chips Working Groups.

1:00-2:00 PM | New! Manufacturing Working Group

Canada's semiconductor manufacturing sector is at a critical juncture. Participants will come together to identify the most pressing challenges facing manufacturers across the country, from capacity and infrastructure gaps to access to specialized resources, and define the priorities and mandate for a new CSC-led Manufacturing Working Group.

2:00-3:00 PM | Talent & Workforce Development Working Group

Talent is one of the most significant constraints on growth across Canada's semiconductor industry. This session will address key gaps in the pipeline, examine strategies for international recruitment and immigration, and assess what's working and what isn't in engaging government on immigration reform. Participants will also discuss promising post-secondary initiatives highlighted in CSC's 2025 Talent Report and explore which can be scaled nationally.

3:00-4:00 PM | AI Chips Working Group

This session will focus on the real challenges Canadian SMEs face in AI hardware development and where collective action can make the biggest difference. Discussion will cover whether Canada's emphasis should be on data center infrastructure or edge computing, and the key advocacy priorities needed to move the sector forward.

4:00-5:00 PM | Automotive Microchips Working Group

Significant gaps remain in Canada's automotive microelectronics supply chain. Building on CSC’s Automotive Microchips Working Group report, participants will identify the highest-priority capabilities to develop domestically, draw on international supply chain models, and explore opportunities to strengthen Canada’s role in automotive microelectronics.

5:00 - 6:15 PM | International Delegates Reception

Hosted by Invest Ottawa in partnership with Canada’s Semiconductor Council, this reception welcomes international CHIPS NORTH semiconductor ecosystem delegates for informal networking ahead of the Summit.

By invitation for international delegates. For additional information, please contact Sadiyah Manidhar  at smanidhar@investottawa.ca

7:00 - 9:00 PM | CSC Members' Private VIP Reception

A private reception for CSC members, offering a high-level opportunity to connect with executives and policymakers ahead of the Summit.

Limited capacity. One representative per member organization.