Federal government announces 5-year, $470M partnership with Ericsson facilities in Ottawa, Montreal

OTTAWA -

The federal government has announced a five-year research and development partnership with Ericsson Canada that would see hundreds of jobs created at facilities in Ottawa and Montreal.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Innovation, Science and Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne made the announcement Monday at the Ericsson facility in Kanata.

"By investing in this new opportunity with Ericsson, we're helping deliver the technologies Canadians expect in a world of fast-paced change and we're making our economy stronger," Trudeau said. "We're excited to see the potential (Ericsson) will bring forward with this project."

The project, valued at $470-million, will focus on 5G advanced, 6G, cloud RAN, core networks, quantum computing, and AI for mobile networks, the company said Monday. The federal government has yet to announce how much public money will be involved.

"Canadians deserve strong, secure, and reliable wireless networks and services," said Champagne. "By investing in Ericsson Canada, our government continues to support and strengthen the 5G networks of today and 6G networks of the future. The partnership also further solidifies Canada as a global leader in next-generation networks and creates more well-paying jobs."

The funding will also support the expansion of Ericsson’s quantum research hub in Montreal.

"Ericsson’s R&D investment partnership with the Canadian government, supported by world-class talent in Ottawa and Montreal, will boost innovation and ultimately help to improve the lives of millions of people," Ericsson president and CEO Börje Ekholm said. "We are determined to lead our industry through continued R&D investment."

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe says the partnership with the federal government is well suited for the city.

"Supporting research and development centres like this helps to make our economy stronger," he said. "When we invest in research and innovation, we invest in the success of our residents and the modernization of our city."

Ericsson says it will also be able to hire up to 60 more interns per year to boost ongoing academic partnerships in Ottawa and Montreal.

The investment in Ericsson follows a funding announcement with Nokia in Ottawa last fall.