What Canada and the UK Are Building, and Why ventureLAB Is All In
The recent Canada–UK joint statement highlights a critical truth: innovation is no longer optional, it's a strategic imperative. As the two global partners commit to deepening ties in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and digital infrastructure, ventureLAB is proud to help lead this shared vision to strengthen national sovereignty and drive energy-efficient, sustainable economic growth.
ventureLAB welcomes the Canada–United Kingdom commitment to strengthening the semiconductor industry. Semiconductors power today’s world - our cars, our phones, our buildings, toys - you name it, semiconductors are necessary for running it. A vibrant semiconductor ecosystem, spanning design, manufacturing, and a resilient supply chain is essential to Canada’s economic security and long-term competitiveness in a knowledge-based economy.
ventureLAB supports Canadian semiconductor startups and scaleups through accelerated commercialization and is actively working to build and attract supply chain capabilities to Canada. The UK is an integral part of our international engagement, and we have collaborated with the UK semiconductor ecosystem through the Canadian Trade Commission’s recent mission and hosted the reciprocal UK delegation at our innovation hub.
This shared vision is already being realized through companies in our network. Hyperlume Inc., based in Ottawa, is developing ultra-low power optical connectivity solutions for high-performance computing, AI, and advanced edge processors (photonics). Solidstate.ai enables semiconductor manufacturers to improve yields and throughput using AI-powered process tools, demonstrating the intersection of deep tech, AI, and advanced manufacturing.
The inclusion of artificial intelligence and digital governance as key priorities reflects a timely and necessary recognition of the need for responsible innovation. In December 2024, Garry Chan, ventureLAB’s Head of AI Initiatives, represented Canada at the Global Partnership on AI Summit in Serbia, contributing to global policy dialogue and reinforcing our leadership in this fast-evolving field.
ventureLAB continues to expand its compute capacity and AI programming to equip Canadian startups with the infrastructure and applied AI expertise to scale. We are actively forming partnerships to embed responsible AI principles into our work, ensuring alignment with global standards while maintaining a distinctly Canadian approach to innovation.
Just three weeks ago, ventureLAB hosted global leaders at the G7 Point of Contact Group on Semiconductors, including a delegation from the U.K. This was the first of eight working groups where policymakers discussed issues of national importance to G7 member states, reinforcing Canada’s role as a collaborative and trusted partner in building secure technology supply chains.
We applaud this strategic alignment between Canada and the UK and look forward to working with both governments to turn shared priorities into action. We invite partners across industry and government to collaborate with us as we shape Canada’s leadership in the global innovation economy.
Read the joint statement here: Joint Statement
