Canada Ought to Create Its Personal Laptop Chip Provide Chain: U of G Engineer

The underlying causes of the semiconductor chip scarcity that started with the pandemic lockdowns will not be going away anytime quickly, warns a College of Guelph pc engineer. 

Dr. Stefano Gregori is a professor within the School of Engineering and Bodily Sciences and the founder and director of the Microelectronics Analysis Laboratory. Within the College of Engineering, he combines concept and experiment and makes use of real-world functions to check built-in microsystems like microsensors and circuits for the Web of Issues and wearables.   

The present semiconductor chip scarcity began due to a quickly altering demand for a product that usually takes six months and tens of millions of {dollars} in capital funding to make and is utilized in the whole lot from electronics to automobiles to medical gear, says Gregori. 

“Though the scarcity disaster was amplified by the pandemic, the underlying causes are going to final till chip manufacturing is elevated and demanding vulnerabilities are addressed,” he provides. “The extraordinarily fragile and sophisticated provide chain and the shortages are issues that spotlight how a lot the world is related.” 

One approach to mitigate the scarcity, which just lately eased for some firms, is to put money into a resilient provide chain with improved home functionality, says Gregori.  

Canada ought to step up with semiconductor investments 

A number of international locations and areas, together with Taiwan, China, Singapore, South Korea, the European Union and the USA, have already invested billions into their semiconductor industries, though Canada has dedicated solely $150 million this yr, notes Gregori.  

“Sustaining technological independence from world provide chains is a defining curiosity for Canada, and it is going to be that means within the a long time to return,” he says, including he’d wish to see additional authorities assist directed to the trade.  

As a result of semiconductor chips are utilized in nearly the whole lot, they are going to underpin new applied sciences comparable to agricultural know-how, clear vitality, e-health and AI, Gregori explains. For instance, electrical automobiles will likely be tougher to supply in Canada than standard gas-powered automobiles as a result of electrical automobiles have greater than twice as many chips. 

“Not solely is establishing a home semiconductor trade vital to Canada’s nationwide safety, economic system and technological pursuits, it’s going to additionally yield important long-term financial advantages and extremely expert employment alternatives,” says Gregori.   

He’s accessible for interviews. 

Contact: 
Stefano Gregori 
[email protected]