NRC — Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre

For Canadian companies developing photonic devices, one of the biggest hurdles is accessing advanced fabrication and testing capabilities without taking on the cost and complexity of building them in-house. The NRC — Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre (CPFC) addresses this challenge by giving startups, growing technology firms, and large enterprises access to an industrial-grade photonics foundry designed to move ideas from concept to commercialization faster.

Operated by the National Research Council of Canada, the CPFC is the country’s only end-to-end pure play compound semiconductor wafer manufacturing facility. Businesses can work with the centre at any stage, from refining designs and modelling performance through to fabrication, testing, and characterization. The facility specializes in photonic components used in fibre optic networks, data centres, defence and aerospace systems, medical imaging, and advanced AI infrastructure, using materials such as indium phosphide, gallium arsenide, and gallium nitride. By offering manufacturing, new product introduction, and volume production under one roof, the CPFC helps reduce development risk, lower non-recurring engineering costs, and shorten time to market.

Support is provided on a fee-for-service basis, with project scope and costs varying depending on technical needs. For businesses operating anywhere in Canada and exploring advanced photonics manufacturing, learning more about how the CPFC can support your product roadmap is a logical next step.