Over the course of the five-year agreement, Ericsson aims to create almost 200 new high-skilled jobs
Swedish vendor Ericsson and the Government of Canada have signed an expanded funding agreement under which Ericsson will invest more than CAD $630 million ($453 million) in its Canadian R&D operations.
The vendor noted that this funding increase will further enhance Ericsson’s R&D capabilities at its research facilities in Ottawa and Montreal creating hundreds of jobs and internships and strengthening these sites as global leaders in 5G Advanced, 6G, AI, Cloud RAN, quantum and network API technologies.
François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, said: “Our partnership with Ericsson solidifies Canada’s position as a leader in next-generation networks. With the increased investment, we’ll not only support the 5G networks of today, but also advance the technologies that will shape our future and continue to make Canada a leader in these areas.”
Ericsson’s R&D centers in Montreal and Ottawa will focus on the development of quantum communications and AI-powered network management, while also expanding its Cloud RAN, 5G Advanced and 6G capabilities. The European vendor also highlighted that this new investment will further support the expansion of research facilities and staffing for quantum computing at Ericsson’s Quantum Research Hub in Montreal.
Börje Ekholm, President and CEO of Ericsson, said: “Canada is a leader in many important fields including AI, quantum and advanced mobile network research and Ericsson’s world-class R&D facilities in Ottawa and Montreal are at the heart of our global innovation efforts. Our partnership strengthens Canada’s leadership in next-generation communications, and we are proud to play a key role in shaping that future.”
Meanwhile, Yossi Cohen, President and Head of Ericsson North America, noted that the technological advancements being developed in the company’s Canadian facilities are laying the foundation for new industries and applications, fueling the vendor’s global business growth. “We’re eager to continue building a strong partnership, with Ericsson playing a key role in advancing innovation both in Canada and across North America,” said Cohen.
Over the course of the five-year agreement, Ericsson aims to create almost 200 new high-skilled jobs and plans to welcome more than 600 co-ops through its university partnerships in the country.
“The announcement of increased investment in Ericsson’s R&D operations is a strong vote of confidence in Ottawa’s tech industry. This commitment reflects Ottawa’s strength as a hub for world-class talent and innovation, solidifying our city’s role in driving the next wave of technology advancements. Ottawa is positioned as a global leader in R&D and technologies like AI and next-generation communications that will shape tomorrow,” said Mark Sutcliffe, Mayor of Ottawa.
Ericsson’s largest R&D site in North America is in Ottawa. The Ottawa lab is a strategic R&D site with end-to-end development capabilities. The facility focuses on all phases of the product development cycle, from research, architecture, systematization, hardware/ software design, integration, test, field test and customer support. Since 2020, the vendor’s Ottawa Open Lab has been a key site on the recently created Cloud RAN product development unit responsible for Ericsson Cloud RAN products worldwide. Ericsson also established its Global AI Accelerator division in 2019 in Montreal. This 5G innovation hub focuses on R&D in AI and automation
In Canada, Ericsson provides 5G infrastructure products and services for local opeartors Bell, EastLink, Rogers, Tbaytel, Telus, Videotron and Xplore.
