Canada Opens Photonics Center

OTTAWA -- The Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario and Carleton University officially opened the NRC Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre (NRC-CPFC) in Ottawa.

David McGuinty, MP for Ottawa South, on behalf of the Honourable David L. Emerson, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for the NRC, Dr. Pierre Coulombe, President, NRC, and Dr. Richard J. Van Loon, President, Carleton University, made the announcement today at a recent ceremony held at the NRC research complex in Ottawa.

“The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of investing in the commercialization of new technologies, such as photonics,” said Mr. McGuinty. “With the opening of NRC-CPFC, Canada’s innovative, small and medium-sized firms will have a world-class photonics resource here in the National Capital Region.”

The science of photonics is the technology of generating and harnessing light. Photonics has a wide range of applications, primarily in the information technology sector, but is also enabling growth in many other sectors of the economy, revolutionizing technologies used in the transportation, health, environment, energy, security, defense, and consumer electronics industries.

“NRC has tremendous confidence in the future of photonics research and sees market opportunities in the many billions of dollars, reaching across a wide range of industrial and social interests. This facility is an excellent example of what Canada is doing to bridge the gap between research and commercialization,” said Dr. Coulombe at the opening, which coincided with an international symposium at NRC on commercializing photonics research.

The $43 million facility is a partnership between NRC and Carleton University to support growth of the photonics sector. It offers companies, universities, and other institutions access to fabrication services to develop leading edge photonic devices. The Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario contributed $30 million and $13 million respectively to the capital cost of the building and leading edge equipment. NRC will assume the operating costs of the new facility. The centre is located at the NRC laboratories in Ottawa to take advantage of the Council’s extensive research expertise, facilities and networks.

"I'm proud that the Government of Ontario partnered with the Government of Canada and Carleton University to make this facility a reality," said Joseph Cordiano, Ontario Minister of Economic Development and Trade. "The Centre will play an important role in strengthening Ontario's innovation and commercialization capacity, which will grow the economy and improve the quality of life for all Ontarians."

NRC Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre (NRC-CPFC)