Last month, the Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education and Practice (ISTEP) brought together more than 70 graduate engineering students for Semiconductor Industry Night, a panel event exploring innovation and new opportunities in this rapidly evolving sector.
Hosted by ISTEP’s OPTIONS Program, the cross-disciplinary endeavour featured U of T Engineering alumni who are leaders in the semiconductor field across industry, government and academia. The panel — including Karen Bozynski, Danny Christidis (CompE 0T1), Chris Ouslis(EngSci 8T6, MASc 8T8), and Richard Fung (ElecE 0T0, MEng 0T8) — was moderated by Professor Wai Tung Ng (ECE), who recently launched a semiconductor micro credential course alongside Professor Jane Howe (MSE).
Fung — co-founder and CEO of Toronto-based company The Six Semiconductor Inc. — shared insights from his more than 25 years of experience working with semiconductors, including how the sector has evolved over time.
“There are far more career opportunities for new graduates in the semiconductor space today compared to 25 years ago,” says Fung.
“There are at least 5-10 times more companies here in Toronto alone.”
One of the driving factors behind this shift is the evolution in AI technology.
“Semiconductors are used in anything to do with computing, and today with AI, the DRAM — essentially the memory interface — has become a bottleneck. For the first time in history, performance is tied directly to memory and companies are racing to design better semiconductor chips in order to increase performance,” says Fung.
“Because the applications of AI are so broad, semiconductor design today is focused on addressing very specific applications. Gone are the days of generic semiconductors. Our company works specifically in memory interface design and it is a very exciting time.”
Between growing technical demand and recent investments from the federal government, there is significant momentum building in Canada.
Within the past year, U of T Engineering launched a semiconductor micro-credential course and the MEng Semiconductor Fabrication & Inspection emphasis to help meet industry demand. These opportunities offer participants a hands-on approach to semiconductor fabrication and design, contributing to workforce development in the sector.
Companies such as The Six Semiconductor are also making concerted efforts to nurture Canadian talent.
“We are hiring lots of interns, giving them a taste of the industry and the exciting opportunities for a rich and interesting career in semiconductors,” says Fung.
He also shared advice on entrepreneurship and leadership.
“Engineers need to be able to speak and present on a range of subjects that are not only in their area of expertise, and a great way to acquire this knowledge is simply by talking to more people, being a bit nosy, or just paying a bit more attention,” says Fung.
“As a leader, you have to understand the individuals on your team and their communication styles. These inter-personal skills are something that require real practice to acquire,” he says.
“ISTEP brings people together across disciplines and creates space for conversations such as these to happen,” says Professor Lisa Romkey, ISTEP’s associate director of graduate studies.
“The OPTIONS Program is just one of the ways in which we create learning opportunities for students to practice and hone their communication, entrepreneurship, teamwork and leadership skills so that they can go on to thrive in their careers.”
