CEO, Inpho

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 will discuss and lay out the blueprint for the Electro-Photonic IC (EPIC) Cluster in Canada centred on the recently proposed spin-off of the Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre (CPFC). They will challenge the current "plug-and-play" approach to optics and argue that the only way to sustain 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.

Partner, Deep Tech Venture Fund, BDC

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

This panel and the subsequent discussion will focus 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.

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.

Quantum has moved beyond “can we build it?” For executives and policymakers, the urgent questions are how to industrialize the technology, secure it in a volatile geopolitical environment, and build the infrastructure needed to commercialize it.

• The Industrialization Pivot: Moving toward CMOS-compatible quantum chips and scalable processes that shift the conversation to yield, reliability, and manufacturability.
• PQC & Hardware Security Mandates: Embedding quantum-resistant security directly into chip architectures to meet federal requirements and protect against “harvest now, decrypt later” threats.
• Sovereign Capability & IP Retention: Defining what “sovereign supply chains” mean for quantum chips, including how to keep IP and talent anchored in Canada while integrating globally.
• Infrastructure Gap (Packaging, Cryogenics, Control): Specializing in the “interface” technologies that connect cold quantum chips to warm classical systems, including thermal management and advanced packaging.
• Quantum-as-a-Service & Early Use Cases: Identifying day-zero applications in energy, defence, and logistics—and the incentives needed to bridge pilots into production.

Managing Director, Canada’s Semiconductor Council

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.