Ericsson announced Thursday it is expanding a funding agreement with the Canadian government and now plowing more than $630 million in research and development of advanced mobile, artificial intelligence and quantum technologies.
The Swedish telecom equipment manufacturer last year committed $470 million in R&D centres in a five-year commitment with the federal government.
Thursday’s announcement adds additional money that will go toward research facilities in Ottawa and Montreal, “creating and upskilling hundreds of jobs and internships and strengthening these sites as global leaders in 5G Advanced, 6G, AI, Cloud RAN, quantum, and network API technologies,” a press release said.
Ericsson said it is looking at creating almost 200 new high-skilled jobs and more than 600 co-ops through university partnerships, onboarding up to 120 students annually and committing to more than 10 academic collaborations a year.
“Our partnership with Ericsson solidifies Canada’s position as a leader in next-generation networks,” Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said in the release. “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.”
The Montreal and Ottawa centres focus on the development of quantum communications and AI-powered network management, while expanding cloud RAN, 5G advanced and 6G capabilities, the release adds.
“Our Ottawa and Montreal R&D centres are driving the future of connectivity, and this partnership with the Government of Canada will allow us to accelerate even more groundbreaking work,” Ericsson Canada President Jeanette Irekvist said in the release. “Together, we are creating high-skilled jobs and advancing technologies that will shape the global communications landscape for years to come. We look forward to bringing this innovation to our customers and continuing to provide connectivity to all Canadians.”
In September, Ericsson and Concordia University signed a 10-year extension on a partnership for advanced communications research.
Photo of Ericsson Canada President Jeanette Irekvist
